Going Against the Grain
by TheDroidsYoureLookingFor
Summary: "Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up." Makoto/OC Photo by pixiv id 205403
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. All content belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own my OC.**

Makoto Tachibana yawned as he put some bread into the toaster, leaning against the counter in the kitchen. He had woken up early today; it was the first official day of school. A new year, new beginnings and all that. He was officially a second year student at Iwatobi High, and he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was going to be be 17 years old and was gonna have to get used to being called "senpai" by the other first-years. It felt like just yesterday when he was in grade school with his childhood buddies, all having fun smearing paint all over their uniforms during art class and rushing over to the swim club right after the last bell.

Speaking of childhood buddies...

"Ran, Ren," he called to his two younger siblings. The twins were sitting at the breakfast table with their parents, groggily trying to stay awake. "Do your onii-chan a favour and go wake Byaku-chan up for me, will you? I think she's still sleepi-"

Before he had even finished his sentence the twins had jerked awake almost immediately and were shoving each other aside to run up the stairs to the currently occupied guest room. He could hear the door slamming open and the twins yelling as they jumped on the bed of the room's occupant. The loud groan that was emitted from the unfortunate victim of the twins' liveliness rang through the house.

"Makoto Tachibana, when I get down there I am going to kick your butt." The same voice threatened.

The head of the household, Isami Tachibana chuckled as he flipped through the morning paper. His wife, Kotetsu Tachibana simply shook her head, smiling as she carried an empty coffee pot to the kitchen counter. "Really, Makoto.. to think you'd be so cruel to subject Byakuya-chan to that kind of wake-up call." She said, handing Makoto the pot. "You'd better fill that up, you're going to need that as a peace offering."

Isami laughed along with his son as Makoto began to brew the coffee. "If there's one thing that girl isn't, it's a morning person. Really, what would she do if she hadn't stayed over..." the man commented, flipping another page in the newspaper he was reading.

Heavy footsteps could be heard trudging down the stairs as the twins practically dragged the Tachibanas' guest into the kitchen, chattering on about some random topic or other. Byakuya Shion walked into the kitchen with slumped shoulders, eyes still unfocused from her sleepy state. Judging from her mussed shoulder-length hair and rumpled uniform, she had probably gotten ready in a rush due to the twins' bothering. The teen sat down heavily in a seat at the table and her dark head fell onto the table with a loud "thud". She groaned out what sounded like a muffled "Good morning."

Makoto smiled as he brought the pot of coffee and fresh toast to the table, placing them in front of the half-dead girl. She grumbled out something that sounded like a "Thanks", though the boy couldn't tell. He chuckled before greeting her. "Good morning, Byaku-chan. How was your sleep?" He asked, emerald eyes shining with a hint of mischief. His father snorted into his coffee mug.

The girl lifted her head and gave him a brown-eyed glare that he assumed was meant to be intimidating, but the effect was ruined by her messy hair and lethargic posture. Makoto laughed and simply ruffled her hair, taking his own seat beside her and starting on his own breakfast as the twins sat down opposite them and bickered over something trivial.

"You'd best finish your breakfast, Byakuya-chan. You've got to be on your way to school soon, especially if you and Makoto are going to pick up Haruka-kun on the way." Kotetsu lectured lightly, prompting Byakuya to sit up- albeit grudgingly- and pour out the coffee into a large mug before spreading some jam onto her toast.

Byakuya Shion had been acquainted with Makoto for years ever since her family had moved into the same neighborhood as the Tachibanas. Her mother, Mikasa Shion had been a former Olympic swimmer, thus prompting her to raise her daughter and firstborn son- Aoi Shion- in the ways of the sport. She had also been a coach at the Iwatobi Swim Club after she retired from her previous occupation. Byakuya had never known her father, as he had passed away several months before she was born due to a car accident.

Mikasa's career as a coach had led to her enrolling her two children in the swim club as well, which was how they had started getting to know the Tachibanas better. Kotetsu and Mikasa had enjoyed each other's company and often got together for some good old girls'-day outs; the two had been great friends. Byakuya, with her tomboyish nature, had fit right in with Makoto and his gang while her brother preferred to hang out with his own peers.

Unfortunately, Mikasa passed away due to a fatal illness four years ago and Aoi, who was 18 at the time, had to pursue a career in the city to earn a higher income to provide better for his sister and himself. Thankfully the large sum of money their mother had left behind for them allowed them to live rather comfortably despite the circumstances. Aoi had left his sister in their Iwatobi home to finish her education while he left for the city. Since they had no other relatives- both their parents had been only children and their grandparents were dead- the Tachibanas had insisted on taking it upon themselves to keep tabs on the girl, treating her like a member of their own family.

Since then, Byakuya had found herself spending more time and growing even fonder of the big family, sometimes babysitting the twins whenever Mako was busy. Most of the time she stayed at her own place, but sometimes she'd sleep over at the Tachibana household when it got lonely.

Or whenever she spent the whole day doing nothing but intense gaming on Makoto's Playstation. Which was exactly what she had done yesterday when she skipped the school's opening ceremony. She had obviously planned it and even brought her school things with her to prepare for the stay the previous night. The girl was starting to regret that decision though.

Running her hands through her hair in a weak attempt to work out the tangles, she then proceeded to shovel food into her mouth rather ungracefully. Evidently she had carried over her tomboyish nature from her childhood into her teens as well.

"Slow down, Byaku-chan. You'll get sick if you eat so fast." Makoto commented, sweatdropping.

"Mo I vhont." Byakuya responded through a mouthful of toast.

Makoto sighed and smiled, resuming work on his cereal. Really, even though puberty had worked it's magic and turned the grubby, broad-shouldered kid he used to get into mud fights with into a more feminine figured young lady she was still as boyish as ever. He was glad though; he was more comfortable with his old friend this way.

"Kay, I'm done. Thank you for the meal." Byakuya announced after she downed the whole pot of coffee at a record speed. "And now I'm gonna go take a short nap on the couch, if nobody minds..."

"Not so fast, Byakuya-chan." Kotetsu said sweetly, suddenly appearing behind the her and grabbing the collar of her uniform, successfully halting the girl's movement. Kotetsu whipped a hairbrush seemingly out of thin air, smiling with a devious aura around her. Byakuya sweatdropped. "We can't have you going to school looking like that now, can we?"

Gulping, Byakuya nodded her head, afraid to defy Mrs Tachibana whenever she got into one of her "Motherly discipline" moods. Smiling happily, Kotetsu worked her tidy-up mom powers to turn the formerly messy teen into a picture right out of the school rulebook in a matter of seconds, her hair pulled back into a short ponytail, long bangs brushed back neatly and uniform immaculately pristine.

Makoto stifled his laughter with one hand at Byakuya's expression. The poor girl; she really was having a traumatizing day so far.

* * *

"Good morning, Mrs Tamura!" Makoto and Byakuya greeted in unison to the old lady standing outside her house. Mrs Tamura had been a neighbour of the Tachibanas for as long as anyone could remember, and the two teens were rather fond of her. She had always offered them snacks when they were kids; a habit that hadn't died even until now.

"Good morning you two! Here, I made you kids some food; I even prepared something extra for your other friend. What's his name... the one that Byakuya-chan likes..."

Byakuya blushed furiously at the comment while Makoto chuckled at her expense. The girl had harboured a crush on Haruka Nanase when they were younger- a rather baseless crush like most little girls had- but had mostly grown out of it.

Mostly.

"Haruka Nanase. And that was years ago, Mrs Tamura." Makoto said, trying to smooth out the situation.

"Oho. In that case, you'd best make your move now then, Makoto-kun. Now's your chance." The old woman said laughingly. This time, Makoto blushed right along with Byakuya.

"ANYWAY," Byakuya cut in immediately, grabbing Mako's arm and dragging him with her. "We've really gotta go now, don't want to be late for our first day of school! Thanks again for the food, Mrs Tamura!" She said quickly in a cheerfully forced voice.

"Alright, you two lovebirds, take care now!" The old woman called back, making the two blush even fiercer, if that was even possible.

"... Sorry you had to be subjected to that, Mako." Byakuya said apologetically once they were out of earshot, releasing her vice-like grip on her companion's arm; though he hadn't complained about it. "Normally she only targets her weird old-people assumptions at me."

"No need to apologize, Byaku-chan, it's not your fault." Makoto replied.

"Heh. True... but still. It must've been awkward for you; I'm already used to it." Byakuya said, rubbing her forehead sheepishly.

"Really? I could've sworn your face turned as red as a tomato earlier." Makoto said teasingly, poking Byakuya's cheek for emphasis. She just laughed and swatted his hand away. The duo jogged up the staircase leading to the compound where Haruka resided, stopping for a short while when they heard a soft 'meow'. A small white kitten had emitted the sound, and Byakuya dropped to her tights-clad knees and cooed at the kitten. "Good morning, Shiro-chan! How's my favourite kitty?"

The kitten ignored her and instead cuddled up to Makoto, who laughed and petted the kitten. "Good morning." He greeted the feline happily.

Byakuya huffed in mock-annoyance. "Yeah, sure. Leave me for him. I don't care, I'm just the one who plays with you and feeds you every other day. Yeah I feel so loved." Makoto just laughed harder before they rose to their feet, continuing the journey to Haruka's house in a comfortable silence.

Arriving at Haruka's door, Makoto rang the bell and waited a couple of moments. No response. Makoto frowned slightly and took a few steps back to look at the window on the second floor of the house. Byakuya in turn huffed impatiently and turned to her tall companion, having to tilt her head upwards slightly to look her friend in the eye.

"Whaddya say we break in again?"

Makoto complied without argument.

* * *

Haruka Nanase had submerged himself in the water of his bathtub. He was lost in thought as he just lay there with a blank expression on his face, simply enjoying the feel of the cool liquid against his skin. He thought he heard the sound of his doorbell ringing at one point in his daydreaming, but figured that if Makoto and Byakuya were here to get him, they were probably gonna use his back door to get in anyway.

Sure enough, he heard a door opening and a Makoto's voice apologizing for the forced entry. The pitter-patter of feet moving through the house followed soon after. He could eventually make out the vague silhouettes of his two friends when they stopped outside his bathroom door and he listened absently as they conversed with each other.

"I'm not going in there." A deep female voice Haruka recognised as Byakuya's said stubbornly.

"Cmon Byaku-chan. It's not like you've never seen Haru shirtless before." Makoto's soft, strong voice reasoned.

"There's always the possibility that he finally decided to have a bath like a normal person and isn't wearing his swimming trunks. And I don't wanna be there to behold him in all his manly maleness when it happens. You wouldn't understand, you're a guy."

A sigh. "Fine, you go wait in the dining room then, we'll be down there in a minute."

"Alright. Try not to have too much fun without me." Byakuya said before her footsteps faded away, indicating that she had left the room.

Haru heard Makoto let out a bark of laughter before the door to the bathroom opened. "I'm coming in" he announced as he did so. The raven-haired boy emerged from the tub and shook the loose water from his hair as Makoto made his way over and reached out a hand towards him. "Good morning, Haru-chan." He said, smiling at his best friend.

Haru sighed. "I told you to lay off the '-chan'." He said before accepting Makoto's hand and stood up from the tub. Sure enough, the boy was wearing his usual black swimming trunks with thin purple stripes running down the sides. "You were in the bath with your swimsuit on again?" Makoto asked- it was completely rhetorical.

"Buzz off," Haruka said, though his voice held no venom. "You're gonna be late for school." He reprimanded emotionlessly.

"That's supposed to be my line..." Makoto sighed.

Haruka dried himself lightly with a towel before making his way downstairs to the kitchen, still wearing nothing but his swimsuit. Makoto trailed behind him as they made their way to the dining room where Byakuya was sitting at the table. To her credit, she didn't even flinch upon noticing Haruka's shirtlessness.

"Morning Haru-kun. Not ready yet, huh? Lucky bastard; you don't have two adorably annoying kids jumping on you and yelling at the top of their lungs to wake you up." She said, glaring at Makoto who laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. Mako must've set the twins on Byakuya to get her out of bed that morning, Haruka deduced. He grunted in acknowledgement and continued onwards to the kitchen. He then proceeded to put his apron on, before turning to the stove to prepare some mackerel for his breakfast.

"Wait, why are you grilling fish?" Makoto exclaimed.

"I haven't had breakfast yet." Haruka said simply, ignoring his friend's chagrin.

"And you're wearing an apron over your swimsuit." Makoto pointed out. "Aren't you cold?"

"Don't point it out, hormonal teenage girl trying to enjoy the view here." Byakuya said blandly, earning an exasperated glare from Makoto.

"I don't want to get oil on my swimsuit." Haruka replied, ignoring Byakuya's outburst. He knew better than to take the girl's random statements seriously.

Makoto deadpanned and looked around the kitchen, where he saw a toaster that was currently toasting some bread "...Fish and toast?" He asked, sweatdropping.

"I'm surprised you haven't sprouted fins and gills yet from the amount of mackerel you consume, Haru-kun." Byakuya commented neutrally.

"That's a little extreme, don't you think, Byaku-chan?"

"How so?"

And so the conversation went on. It continued in a similar fashion even as Haruka dressed and the three of them made their way to school.

"So? Why did you come get me?" Haruka asked his two friends as they walked along the road to school.

"You didn't show up for the opening assembly yesterday." Makoto replied.

"I called in sick."

"Hm. Well, at least you're better than Byaku-chan then; she slept in and spent the whole day playing video games."

Said girl shrugged in confirmation when Haruka gave her an inquisitive glance.

"Anyway, do you two at least know what class you're in?"

No response. Makoto smiled knowingly and informed them. "We're all in the same class again, class 1. We've got a new lady as our homeroom teacher; the students have already given her a nickname."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that yesterday. " Byakuya mused. "What was her name again... Hamu-chan?"

"Eh, no. It's Ama-chan. She teaches classical literature, but she's a little on the odd side..."

Haruka didn't pay much attention to the conversation after that point, choosing instead to turn his sapphire gaze out longingly at the ocean. His companions noticed, but were not offended. Instead, Makoto teased Haruka lightly by voicing the boy's exact thoughts while Byakuya made light comments on how he could resume his swimming when summer came around. That was just the way things were; even though Haruka seemed to do a lot of thinking, he hardly ever spoke unless it was necessary, leaving his friends to do most of the talking for him. While most would see the boy as cold or stand-offish, his companions knew he cared just as deeply for them as they did him, he just didn't express it as much. They did wonder what went on in the raven-haired boy's head on more than one occasion, though.

Makoto personally wished Haruka would be more vocal on his thoughts sometimes, but he never pushed Haruka into doing so; if Haru was going to open up to them, Mako would let him do it in his own time. That was Makoto for you, completely selfless and always placing others' needs before his own. The fact that he had known Haru so long he could practically read his mind helped his patience with the boy as well. The emerald-eyed teen's large, intimidating stature contrasted greatly with his kind personality; truly the epitome of a 'gentle giant'.

Byakuya on the other hand just took things as they were. Though she loved her friends dearly, she wasn't nearly as selfless as Makoto. She preferred to be the one who broke the tension and joked around- the laughmaker. The girl was also sharp-tongued and witty, and had a potty mouth that would send sailors running for cover.

Despite their contrasting personalities, the trio were extremely close. They had been through years together and their experiences only served to strengthen their bond.

As they walked to school at their own leisurely pace, they were blissfully unaware of the challenges that were about to be thrown their way that year.

New bonds would be formed, masks broken, old rivalries rekindled...their friendship would soon become an even more important thing in their lives than ever before.

But just for that one morning, they were just three friends happily falling into their established monotony that would soon be shattered, for better or for worse.

* * *

AN: Whaddap, readers! So, this is my first attempt at fanfiction- I apologize if it was bad or anything. If it was though, please leave a comment on how you think I could adjust my writing and improve the story; it would be most appreciated! Anyway, I made this fic mostly for the purpose of delving a little more into the characters of Free and to add another different POV on the tribulations of growing up- which is the main focus of the original series anyway. There won't be much original plot in here- I apologize if that was what you were hoping for. I also don't plan to make the OC steal the spotlight or anything, rather I want to make her fit in somehow like a normal member of the cast- if ever at some point you think I've done otherwise, please let me know! I am aware that I put quite a bit of info on the OC in this chapter, but I thought I'd do that to clarify some things before advancing the story. I hope she doesn't seem like a Sue (If she does, you readers know what to do!) Also, please note that the names I have given to Makoto's parents are entirely made up- they aren't mentioned in the anime, so... yeah. XD

In any case, I thank you for stopping by and reading this OC fic- most would ignore such fics and head straight for the yaoi department (I would know. I do that too sometimes *cough*) So yeah! In the words of our favourite swimming anime- See you next water time! ;D


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own my OC.**

"Good morning students!" A youthful brunette woman greeted as she stood at the front of the class. "To those of you who weren't here for yesterday's opening ceremony; I'm your new Homeroom teacher, Miho Amakata. You may call me Amakata-sensei. I am pleased to meet you all." She said smilingly.

Byakuya was hardly listening as she doodled absently in her book at the back of the class. The new Literature and Homeroom teacher Makoto had told her about seemed nice enough, but she was never inclined to pay much attention to introduction speeches, which was the whole reason she had skipped the opening ceremony yesterday. As usual, the girl had taken a place next to Makoto, who in turn sat next to Haruka. It was practically a tradition for those three to keep together, whether it was sitting in class, eating lunch or walking to and from school. This year wasn't an exception.

The girl stretched out her long legs as Miho-sensei read out the attendance list. She was just waiting for Miho-sensei to reach Haruka's name first and confuse his gender. It was a common occurence; both he and Makoto did have a rather feminine names, a trait she shared with them, only in her case it was the other way around. Haruka's name always came first, however, as the list went in alphabetical order. Any second now...

"...Miss Nanase Haruka?"

There it was. The whole class erupted into laughter at the woefully misplaced title. Byakuya rolled her eyes while Makoto raised his hand and corrected their teacher, who apologized for the mix-up. Haruka- as always- stayed silent about the whole ordeal, but Byakuya knew the boy was disgruntled at being confused for a woman despite how often it happened. She went back to doodling as Makoto made some comment to Haruka that made the boy look away in exasperation.

A similar thing happened for Byakuya, but Makoto was exempted since Amakata-sensei had apparently made that mistake already yesterday. Byakuya felt slightly guilty for having left Makoto to endure that day alone after she found out.

Only slightly though.

No matter what it was, unless Makoto was under the threat of being mauled by rabid wolves or something equally disastrous, it was highly doubtful that anything would ever make Byakuya break her record of not attending opening ceremonies. Ever.

* * *

Classes proceeded normally up until lunchtime, and the trio made their way to their usual spot on the roof.

"I didn't bring any food." Haruka said as they neared the foot of the staircase leading up to the roof.

"Don't worry, we gotcha covered." Byakuya said, holding out the box that Mrs Tamura had given to Makoto and her that morning. Opening the lid, they peered inside and found squid inside it.

"Huh, looks like Mrs Tamura still recalls your preferences, Haru-chan. Good thing she remembers you as the boy Byaku-chan likes, eh?" Makoto commented, earning a playful shove and glare from the Shion girl.

"I told you Mako, that was ages a-"

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan! Bya-kun!" A cheerful voice suddenly cut off Byakuya in the middle of her sentence. At the bottom of the steps leading up to their floor there stood a wavy-haired blonde boy who was waving enthusiastically at the trio. His short stature and somewhat childish features that puberty hadn't yet started on suggested that he was a first-year student. "It's been forever! I'll be joining you guys here at Iwatobi High!" The boy said cheerfully.

"...Haru-chan?" Haruka said slowly, turning to face his two friends confusedly.

"Mako-chan?" Makoto returned, just as perplexed as he was.

"I haven't heard those names since..." Byakuya trailed off before all three of them gasped in realization and spun towards the blonde, whose dark pink eyes shone with excitement as he met their astonished gaze.

"Nagisa?" They exclaimed in unison. The boy just tilted his head to the side and grinned.

* * *

Nagisa Hazuki was a year younger than his three friends, however due to his long-time acquaintance with them since their kindergarten years, he felt no need to address them with the '-senpai' suffix.

The blonde boy had always been an exuberant ball of sunshine even since they were children, and he retained that innocent happiness even until now. He was currently hanging out with the trio on the roof, reminiscing about the old times as they finished their lunches.

"Then there was that one time when we pulled a prank on Mako-chan, and he got so scared he couldn't move! Bya-kun got so panicky she fell into the water and nearly_ killed_ Haru-chan!" Nagisa laughed as he recalled the story.

"I did not _'nearly kill'_ him! Fine, so I was pretty big for a girl, that doesn't make it much different than if one of you guys had fallen on him!" Byakuya denied huffily.

"Actually Byaku-chan... you beat a lot of us guys in the size department back then..." Makoto said sheepishly.

"Shut up Mako. That's an exaggeration."

"You were quite heavy." Haruka added his input.

"Oh man not you too Haru. It's like the whole universe is against me today!" She cried out dramatically, falling onto Makoto's broad frame for emphasis. "What did I ever do to you, universe?"

"Who's the one exaggerating now..?" Makoto said as he ruffled the girl's hair and they all laughed. That is, three of them did- Haru remained rather passive, though Makoto swore he saw a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

"Ah, those were great times," Nagisa said, gazing out over the view of the town happily.

"How many years has it been?" Makoto asked inquisitively. "I don't think we've seen you since the swimming club shut down."

"Yeah, that'd because I went to another school." Nagisa explained before he perked up all of a sudden.

"Hey, there are sakura trees by the pool!" He exclaimed at the discovery. "Weren't there sakura trees next to the pool back at your old grade school, Haru-chan?"

"Will you please stop calling me that?" Haruka said exasperatedly.

"But that's your name, Haru-chan." the blonde responded. Haruka deadpanned and locked eyes with the underclassman's innocent gaze briefly before the other two teens present decided to cut in.

"In any case, those sakura trees do make a nostalgic sight." Byakuya commented wistfully.

"Yeah. It's just too bad that old pool hasn't been used for years now." Makoto said. "There's no swim club here either."

"But then... where do you swim now, Haru-chan?" Nagisa asked curiously, tilting his head in a childlike fashion.

Haruka's eyes hardened ever so slightly. "I quit swimming competitively." He said curtly.

"Wha? But why'd you quit?" Nagisa asked in confusion. Makoto and Byakuya exchanged a solemn glance. It was the same question they themselves had pondered about. They had several theories, but Haruka never did explain himself. "I got all excited about getting to swim with you guys again in high school!"

"We're not kids anymore." Haruka said stiffly, his hard voice making Makoto wince. "Things aren't the same way they used to be."

"Haru-chan..." Nagisa was devastated. Ever since they were children, the boy had admired Haruka's swimming; the blonde had compared Haruka to a dolphin due to his extraordinary skills.

Here, Makoto decided to intervene again. "Well, he may have stopped swimming competitively, but he still loves the water!" He said jokingly. "Haru can't live without being in water; in the summer he swims in the ocean and just this morning he was soaking himself in the tub." He explained.

"Which only further supports my theory that Haru-kun's actually a merman in disguise." Byakuya jabbed lightly.

"But what does that have to do with swimming?" Nagisa said indignantly. "That just means he likes baths!"

Byakuya laughed. "Ah, Nagi-kun. I missed you and your sense of humour."

"... but it wasn't a joke..." Nagisa said, puffing his cheeks out and pouting slightly. Byakuya just ruffled his hair; a habit she'd been starting to pick up from Mako.

"Cut it out!" Nagisa said, laughing as he brushed off Byakuya's hand. "Hey! I know!" He said abrupty and turned back to Haruka. "What about a hot springs club? Let's start a hot springs club~" the ruby-eyed boy said as he shook Haruka's shoulders.

"I can't stand the heat." Haruka stated simply, turning his head away from the first-year.

"Aww, Haru-channnnn~"

"I said not to call me that."

As the two teens bickered, Makoto and Byakuya smiled at the sight before them and traded knowing looks. It reminded them of better times, when they were just children having innocent fun, utterly oblivious to the worries of the cruel world and when all that mattered was the happiness of the present. To see that Nagisa, hadn't changed over the years... it was comforting to have yet another aspect of familiarity in their lives.

Suddenly, Makoto caught a flash of maroon out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head towards the source, where he saw a familiar looking, redheaded girl eating with her friend. They were evidently first-years, and the rehead was staring at their little group. Makoto frowned. The first-year girl looked rather familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on it...

"Byaku-chan," Makoto called. The girl turned her attention to the tall boy before he continued. "That girl sitting over there, the one with the scarlet hair... do you recognize her?" He asked, gesturing with his head conspicuously in the direction of the subject. Byakuya raised an eyebrow but didn't question the boy.

The girl shifted her body slightly before pretending to stretch her arms to get a small glance through her long bangs at who Mako was referring to. Shion caught the stare of the ponytail-haired girl, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She turned back to Makoto.

"You're right, she does look familiar; it's at the tip of my brain, but I just can't figure it out... " she said, brows furrowing.

"Byaku-chan?" Makoto asked, a hint of concern lacing his voice as the girl got lost in thought.

She looked up at her friend's gentle gaze and shook her head, smiling at him reassuringly.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. It'll come back to me later."

"All you're just gonna start thinking about later is what you're having for dinner." Makoto teased.

"... I am not gonna argue with that statement." Byakuya laughed, her sandy-haired friend joining her while their two friends continued their banter. For a moment, they forgot about the girl with the increasingly familiar red hair, who still gazed at them with a million thoughts running through her head...

* * *

"Hey, have you heard?" Nagisa asked his buddies as they were headed towards the staircase that would lead them back into the school building. "The swimming club we went to in grade school is gonna be torn down soon." As the boy was prancing down the steps with his arms stretched wide, he had a sudden idea and turned around abruptly to face his friends again. "So before that happens, why don't we pay a visit?"

Makoto felt Byakuya and Haruka both stiffen beside him at the mention of the old club and shot them a worried glance. "To dig that up?" He asked.

"Exactly!" The first-year replied enthusiastically, oblivious to his two dark-haired friends' reluctance. "We can sneak in at night, and-"

"You can go by yourself." Haru suddenly cut off Nagisa in the middle of his sentence, continuing his walk down the stairs. The sole female of the group nodded absently in agreement. Haruka looked rather passive, like always, though there seemed to be a more intense gleam in his blue eyes while Byakuya wore a disturbingly blank look on her face and had developed a strange fascination with the cement stairs.

"Don't say that!" Nagisa cried, grasping the two pessimistic teens by the shoulders. "Come with us, Haru-chan, Bya-kun." the blonde pleaded, putting on his best puppy-dog face. Unfortunately, they were unaffected by the look.

"I'm not going." The boy said stiffly, turning away from his friend. Byakuya did the same.

"Don't you think it'll be fun?" Nagisa tried again.

"I don't." Haruka and Byakuya deadpanned in unison. Nagisa groaned and leaned heavily on Haruka while Makoto chuckled at the scene.

"Why don't you just humor him?" He said, trying his part to convince them to go.

"I'll only go if he does." Byakuya said, gesturing to Haruka.

"And I won't. It's too troublesome."

"There's a pool there, yknow..." Makoto said slyly.

That got Haruka's attention. They could see his resolve crumbling; all he needed was one more little push...

"A pool is much bigger than a bathtub..." Makoto added.

Haruka paused and turned his head back up towards his friend, blue eyes shining and a faint blush on his cheeks. He was so hooked.

Byakuya wanted to push Makoto off the roof at that moment. Really, despite his gentle nature, Makoto could be quite manipulative sometimes. And now, since Haruka was obviously going, she had to to tag along as well.

_'Deceptive cow.'_ She fumed inwardly._ 'Deceptive, annoying, frustrating...extremely handsome cow with the most beautiful eyes in the whole world.'_

Byakuya was going to pretend she hadn't actually thought the last part.

"Alright! Then it's settled then!" Nagisa said, practically leaping with excitement. "We're going to go visit the Iwatobi Swim Club! How does 7.30 pm tonight sound?"

Makoto agreed and Haruka just nodded absently while Nagisa chattered on about random things as they walked down the stairs. Suddenly, Makoto remembered that Byakuya hadn't said a single thing about why she hadn't wanted to go, and he highly doubted that she shared the same reasons as Haruka (though he doubted that Haruka had given the real reason for his reluctance as well). He berated himself for his thoughtlessness and turned around to look at the black-haired girl trailing behind them. Makoto paused and waited for her to catch up before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You okay with this, Byaku-chan?" He asked kindly. The girl blinked and turned her eyes to her companion's concerned face.

"Y-yeah... I'm fine. I'm fine! Don't worry about it, it sounds fun!" She assured a little too quickly with a forced smile. It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of that fact instead of the other way around. Makoto thought about pursuing the subject further, but was cut off by Nagisa who eagerly told them to hurry up as classes were about to begin.

"We'd better move it then. Don't want Mr Hasegawa to rail at us." Byakuya said cheerily, still wearing that fake smile on her face as she ushered her olive green-haired friend down the stairs.

Makoto frowned. It was obvious that Byakuya wasn't telling him something. It was slightly discomforting, seeing as the girl had told him everything ever since they were kids; he'd even been the first one she'd told about her crush on Haruka. To see her trying to hide something from him now... it made him uncomfortable for some reason.

'I'll just ask her about it later..' Makoto thought to himself as he bid Nagisa farewell and headed to class with his two friends.

Byakuya's state of mind was just one of the many things that would come to light in the turn of events about to take place.

* * *

AN: Ooh, somewhat foreboding end sentence *shot*  
Anyhoo, fast update, I know, but I've the urge to write just asdfghjkl. And here we bring in everyone's favourite blondie! Seriously, Nagisa's just the most adorable thing. I look forward to writing the inner workings of his mind- I like to think that behind that goofy attitude, the kid's actually really intelligent and thoughtful. He does prove it several times in the series, if you look closely.  
Also, we also have more descriptions about Byakuya's appearance. I was hoping to let give the impression that she isn't the most petite female due to her involvement in swimming, though she isn't the most manly figure either. If you guys would like to adjust her to your own personal images, you can do that, since the only major parts of her appearance is her hair and eyes. That's it for this AN, see you guys next chapter! (Probably soon too, the muse is killing me XD)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"Wow, you live by yourself, Haru-chan?" Nagisa asked curiously as he fished out the shovel hidden in the cupboard of Haru's house. It was after school, and they had stopped by Haru's house to get the things they needed for their venture that night.

"His mom went with his dad when he had to move because of work." Makoto explained on Haru's behalf.

The Nanase boy was currently at his stove, preparing some food for his friends. However, his palate choice was somewhat unappealing to Makoto, mostly because it was...

"Fish again, Haru?" The boy asked, forest-green eyes drooping in disappointment.

"No one's forcing you to eat it." Haruka replied simply.

"Just cuz you enjoy living on a dolphin's diet doesn't mean the rest of us do." Byakuya said, sweatdropping.

"Looks delicious!" Nagisa said enthusiastically. The boy was the only one who didn't seem to mind; probably because he hadn't been subjected to eating it constantly for the past 10 years or so. "Haru-chan always was a good cook!"

"...So, are you sure about doing this?" Makoto asked, suddenly solemn. He was evidently referring to their plan to visit the Iwatobi Swim Club that night.

"Huh?" Nagisa said, confused. "Weren't you all for it earlier? Are you getting scared?"

"That's not what he's trying to say, Nagi-kun..." Byakuya said quietly.

"I meant if it was okay for just the four of us to dig it up." Makoto explained patiently.

"Well, it can't be helped." Nagisa said, frowning. "Rin-chan isn't in Japan anymore."

Haruka was quiet as his companions chattered while he recalled the memories of his old friend. He remembered the day clearly, as if it just happened yesterday...

* * *

The twelve-year old Haruka stood in front of the low brick wall obscured by a cherry blossom tree, which was currently bare due to the wintry cold. Standing next to him were his three friends; Makoto Tachibana, Byakuya Shion...

...and Rin Matsuoka.

They were all just idly gazing at the scribblings on the wall, when suddenly Rin announced, "...I won't be attending middle school here."

Haruka was shell-shocked as he turned to stare at his redheaded friend, surprise and confusion evident in his ocean-blue eyes.

"What?" Byakuya exclaimed, whipping her head around to face Rin, her boy-cut black hair swaying with the movement.

"Whaddya mean, Rin?" Makoto continued, perplexed at his friend's sudden proclamation. The green-haired boy had voiced the question they all wanted to ask.

"I'm going to Australia." The boy replied simply, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes at having to leave his friends behind.

"You're going to a different country?" Makoto exclaimed, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. None of them could.

"Yep. I'm going to a swimming school."

Haruka swallowed hard and turned back to look at the wall again, staring particularly intensely at a single sentence.

'For The Team.'

"...what are you trying to do?" Makoto asked quietly, still trying to comprehend the fact that he wouldn't be seeing his friend again for a long time.

Rin grinned as he looked up into the sky. "I'm gonna be an Olympic swimmer! Just like Mikasa-obasan was!"

Haruka's expression darkened and his fists clenched as Rin announced his dream. He was leaving. After all the time they spent together, all the trouble he went through to get everyone to join the relay, all the laughter and fun they had shared... he was leaving Japan. Leaving them. And he had known. All this time, Rin knew he was going to leave. Haruka felt something akin to rage bubble in the pits of his stomach.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Makoto continued while Byakuya fell silent at the mention of her mother; who at the time was still very sick. "What about the relay?"

Rin shrugged and started walking away. "I'm still gonna be swimming in the relay, I'm just leaving the day after the tournament."

"So soon?" Byakuya asked, stunned. This was all happening so fast.

"Yep. So this will be the last time the four of us will be swimming together." The boy said nonchalantly, referring to himself, Nagisa, Haruka and Makoto. Byakuya was a girl and thus couldn't participate with the four of them, though with the amount of time she joined them for practice and hung out with them she was practically one of the boys herself. Makoto gazed worriedly at Haruka, who was glaring at the ground; even as a child he was rather well-attuned to his friend's emotions.

"...I only swim freestyle." Haruka said despondently. It was something he always said, and those were also one of the first sentences he'd spoken to Rin.

"That's exactly why you have to swim in the relay," Rin responded, clutching his hand into a fist in determination and spinning around to look Haruka in the eye. "This is our last chance. Let's swim together, Nanase."

The raven-haired boy didn't respond, staring blankly at the ground as a breeze blew around them, enveloping them in a comfortable coolness.

"...If you swim with me..." Rin added slowly, catching Haruka's attention. The maroon-eyed boy grinned and placed his hands behind his head in a carefree manner.

"...I'll show you a sight you've never seen before."

The words reverberated in Haruka's head. The boy would always remember that sentence for years and years to come, and he would never forget the way Rin had grinned so confidently as he said those words.

And indeed, Rin had not disappointed.

* * *

"I found a flashlight!" Byakuya announced as she barged into Makoto's room without knocking. The boy was drying his hair, having just finished his bath and grinned wryly at the girl. They were both dressed in similar casual wear consisting of a normal t-shirt and jeans.

"You really need to learn how to knock, Byaku-chan. What if I had been indecent?" He said jokingly. Byakuya snorted as she jumped onto his bed and lay there on her back.

"Yeah right. You always change in the bathroom." She had a point. The fact that she even knew about his changing habits was a testament to how well the two of them knew each other. Granted, she wasn't nearly as close to Makoto as Haruka was- the two had known each other longer and were in a whole different zone Byakuya could never even hope to touch- but she was a close second. "Besides, it's not like I've never seen you shirtless before."

"You definitely didn't react that way when we went to pick up Haru." He teased lightly as he put on his glasses. He normally preferred to use his contacts, but at home he decided to use the chunky black frames. Byakuya frowned and threw a pillow at him, which he caught easily.

"That's different and you know it." she huffed in annoyance.

"I don't see how that is. Didn't you say you got over your little crush?"

"Mako!"

"Alright, alright!" He said, laughing at the girls' red face. "But seriously though, I don't see why you're still so shy around him." He commented while he rummaged through his drawers. They were going to the Iwatobi Swim Club that night, and they each needed to bring along torchlights of their own.

"Well, I still get sorta awkward whenever I see him, alright? It's like a part of my mind still can't get over the fact that I don't like him anymore, and I can't get it to cooperate! It's infuriating!" She sighed exasperatedly.

Makoto chuckled at Byakuya's expense. It was so unlike her to be concerned about such trivial, girly things.

They were going to head out to pick up Haruka soon and meet with Nagisa at the entrance of the old swim club. Byakuya had decided to spend yet another night over at the Tachibanas for the late night escapade, and also because she was apparently too lazy to walk the mere 30 feet it took to get from Makoto's place to her house.

"Oh yeah. Byaku-chan, I've been meaning to ask you about what happened in school earlier today..." Makoto started slowly, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Yeah? What about it?" To anyone else, Byakuya would have seemed nonchalant about the question, but Makoto saw how her expression had become more guarded and the slight sharpness that appeared in her dark eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about, Byaku-chan." He pressed. Makoto was a lot more direct with Byakuya when it came to getting her to voice her thoughts compared to Haruka, who he often left alone to wander in his own thoughts. Sometimes Byakuya wondered if that was a blessing or a curse.

Byakuya sighed and rubbed her forehead out of habit. There was no point in playing dumb, she concluded. "It's... it's sorta difficult to explain, and it's a pretty long story, so... can it wait till after we come back later?" Seeing Makoto's unyielding expression, she sighed and tried again "I'll tell you everything you want to know, I promise. It isn't that big of a deal anyway; just some things I need to confirm..."

After Makoto continued scrutinizing her through his black-rimmed glasses for a long moment, he finally relented. "Fine...You gotta pinky swear though." He added as an afterthought.

"What?" Byakuya asked, surprised at the request. "Mako, we're not 7 years old, yknow. I'll keep any promises I make without the need for weird hand gestures."

"Just to make sure," Makoto said, smiling as her put out his pinky for her to grab with her own. "Cmon Byaku-chan, you gotta do it~"

After a little more coaxing on Makoto's part, Byakuya finally laughed and played along, interlocking her pinky with his. "Alright, alright. Pinky swear. You're just making me do this so you can guilt me into spilling the beans later." she accused.

"I'm hurt, Byaku-chan. How could you think so lowly of me?" Makoto said innocently, prompting the both of them to laugh again. "Cmon, I need you to help me find my contacts; I seem to have misplaced them again."

As the two teens made idle conversation while searching high and low for the contact lenses (which they would later find out had been stolen by the twins, who received a vicious tickle fest as punishment), they forgot all about the trip they were making that night.

Unbeknownst to them, the events that were about to transpire that night would soon be forever embedded into their memories.

* * *

AN: Double update today because I had enough time to do so. As you guys could probably tell, I've had the draft for the first parts of this story for quite a while, which explains the uber quick updates (I mean, two days, four chapters, that's outrageous.) AN continues in the next chapter~


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"The place is pretty trashed." Makoto commented as he held a shovel in front of him. The four teens had gathered in front of the old swim club, which was rundown and dark after years of abandonment. Nagisa hmm'd thoughtfully before digging into his pockets and fishing something out.

"Here, just in case," the blonde said, holding out a white piece of paper which held a grainy white substance. "Purifying salt." The boy clarified.

"Salt?" Makoto asked confusedly.

"You sure you aren't trying to slip us some drugs or something? Cuz I know a drug that looks pretty similar... ouch" Byakuya said blandly as she received a reprimanding smack on the head from Makoto.

"Of course not Bya-kun!" Nagisa cried, appalled before he turned back to look at the old building again. "They say the place is haunted." He said seriously.

Makoto sweatdropped and smiled nervously. "Don't scare me, please..."

"I'm not lying!" Nagisa exclaimed loudly, making Makoto jump slightly. "People have seen shadows moving and heard people sobbing in these hallways." Nagisa continued eerily.

Makoto cringed and grabbed onto the back of Byakuya's black jacket. The girl reached back and gave his hand a reassuring pat. Makoto was somewhat faint-hearted despite his appearance, however Byakuya did not doubt for one second that he couldn't hold his own in a fight if anything ever came down to that. It was hard to imagine anyone ever trying to raise a hand against the gentle boy, though.

"Hold still!" Nagisa ordered the trembling youth as he scattered salt around him, doing the same for Byakuya and Haruka as well.

"Hey." Haruka suddenly said in realization. Everyone turned towards him.

"W-what is it?" Makoto asked shakily.

"This isn't salt... it's sugar." Haruka stated after tasting the white substance.

Poor Makoto looked like he was gonna faint while Nagisa looked horrified at the mix-up.

Byakuya sighed. "Yup. Now I really wish it was drugs."

This time Makoto didn't smack her head.

* * *

"Well, it's all mental anyway, so sugar will get the job done!" Nagisa said optimistically as they all walked through the dank halls of the abandoned building.

"Clichéd as hell." Haruka responded, making Byakuya snort in agreement.

"Well, it is one of the oldest mistakes out there.." Makoto stated, before he was cut off by something crashing.

The green-haired boy gave a slight shriek and immediately hid behind Haru. "W-what was that?" He cried. Byakuya took a deep breath and retained her poker face, trying to make it seem like she didn't almost scream like a little girl.

"Ehehe..." Nagisa laughed sheepishly. "I accidentally kicked an empty can..."

The three other teens glared at the younger boy.

"...You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!" Makoto accused.

"You always were afraid of the dark." Nagisa commented.

"Mmhm. You nearly beat me to death with a pillow when you thought I was a night monster during that one sleepover. If not for Haru-kun you'd probably have succeeded. " Byakuya mused.

"You guys aren't helping any!" Makoto cried.

"Sorry." Nagisa and Byakuya apologized in unison, though neither didn't sound too sincere.

They walked past several familiar places like the locker rooms and boiler room, reminiscing about the club's better days when everything wasn't so downtrodden.

"Ah, this brings back memories." Nagisa said wistfully.

"It's not nearly as trashed on the inside as I thought." Makoto commented thoughtfully. The teens soon slowed down as they neared a particularly familiar spot.

"This is.." Nagisa trailed off as he rushed into the room.

"The lounge!" Makoto said, recognizing several old aspects from the once pristine room. There were still several pieces of furniture that hadn't been moved and the pictures that had been stick onto the walls were still there. Nagisa and Byakuya made their way over to the photo-plastered wall, the latter shuffling towards one particular picture in the corner and gazing almost mournfully at it. She vaguely noticed Nagisa calling out to them to come and view another picture. She removed the picture she had been observing from the wall and pocketed it before walking over to where Nagisa and the others were standing.

"Look!" He was saying exuberantly. "It's the picture of us from when we won the relay!"

Indeed it was. The picture showed five 12-year olds, four of whom were boys wearing gold medals around their necks. In the middle stood a young Haruka, stoically looking away from the camera with a bored expression on his face while a grinning redheaded boy- Rin Matsuoka- had his arm draped around Haru's neck. Rin also held a blue trophy loosely in his other arm. Next to Haru stood Makoto, who was wearing a closed-eyed smile and making the stereotypical 'peace' sign while Nagisa had one arm thrown behind Rin's back and the other stretched up high in an enthusiastic salute. Kneeling on the floor in front of the boys was a young Byakuya, who was smiling widely and pumping her fist in the air, looking just as ecstatic as the boys in the picture even though she had no medal herself.

They all looked so carefree and happy in the picture, Byakuya couldn't help but feel a sharp pang of nostalgia. She clearly recalled the day of the relay, the day right before Rin was to leave for Australia. She remembered feeling the hoarseness of her throat as she cheered her friends on and watched as they took their respective turns to finish the lap across the pool. It was beautiful, exhilarating... she wished the moment would never have ended

After the race, they had all gone out to their usual place beneath the sakura tree. She closed her eyes briefly as she recalled that wonderful, sunny day...

* * *

"We all won this together," Rin said as he placed the trophy inside the box they planned to bury. "So it doesn't make sense if only one of us takes it home. Instead, let's use it as a time capsule and dig it up when we're grown up!" He said exuberantly as he put the lid on the box and stood up. He glanced at his four companions and smiled cheekily. "Romantic, huh?"

Haru scoffed and looked away; sometimes the comments his friend made were rather unnerving.

"You're such a girl, Rin-kun." Byakuya teased, though she was secretly touched at her friend's sentimental gesture.

"Well, of course you would think that; you're manlier than all of us put together!" Rin retorted, grinning tauntingly.

"Oh, stop it you guys!" Nagisa whined, latching himself onto Rin's arm. "Rin-chan's gonna be leaving soon, don't fight~"

The scarlet-haired boy laughed and brought all his friends into a group huddle. "No matter what," he said in a melancholy tone, though his smile never left his face. "I'll never forget you guys. Ever. You'll always be my best buddies."

Byakuya bit her lip, struggling to keep her expression straight. There were too many emotions running through her head; happiness from winning the relay, sadness from Rin's eventual departure, and exhaustion from taking care of her sick mother. It was all too much, and after Rin's declaration she couldn't stop the tears from spilling over.

"Byaku-chan!" Makoto exclaimed worriedly while everyone else were stunned. This was the first time any of them had seen the tough, upbeat girl break down like this, and they had no idea what to do or say.

Byakuya sniffed and wiped her sleeve over her face, embarrassed at having her friends see her being so weak. "I-I'm sorry... it's just-" her voice broke before she could finish the sentence.

Haruka's eyes softened as he looked at the sniffling girl. She had been a loyal companion to him for years, always sticking up for him and cracking jokes in an attempt to get him to smile. He decided he needed to repay the favor now, so he did the first thing that came to mind when it came to comforting girls.

He hugged her.

Byakuya froze up for a moment, but eventually relaxed and returned the gesture gratefully, burying her face into the boys' shoulder.

It was at that moment that she developed her first crush.

Rin smiled upon seeing Haru's uncomfortable expression; the boy obviously wasn't used to comforting others, that much was evident.

"Hey, hey. Cmon, I'm supposed to be the girly one, remember? Don't cry, Byaku-chan... if you keep this up I think I might cry too." He said, only half-joking as he joined in on the hug.

"Oi, you guys!" Rin called out to the other two boys who were standing there awkwardly. "Get your butts here; she's your friend too y'know!"

And so, all of them came together in a big group hug, making odd comments and laughing until Byakuya's tears ceased and she joined in on the laughter.

"I'm gonna miss you, Rin-kun. We all will." She said quietly after the laughter had died down. The maroon-eyed boy simply smiled and squeezed his arm tighter around her shoulders.

"It's okay, just because I'm going overseas doesn't mean I'll be gone forever!" He said optimistically. "We'll meet up again for sure! And then we'll be able to swim together again, alright Byaku-chan?"

* * *

"... ku-chan. Byaku-chan!"

The Shion girl snapped out of her daydream and turned towards her three comrades, who were already starting to make a move. She laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry, got a little lost on memory lane." She explained.

"Geez, you and Haru-chan both... we're supposed to be on a mission here!" Nagisa cried. Byakuya just smiled as she jogged up to her friends and exited the room.

"What photo did you take from the wall, Byaku-chan?" Makoto asked quietly as she caught up. The girl turned her astonished brown gaze towards her tall friend; she didn't think anyone had seen her remove the photo.

"I'll tell you later, okay? I promised I'd tell you whatever you wanted to know, remember? Pinky-sweared on it too." She answered, smiling wryly. Makoto seemed to want to pry a little more, but agreed to drop the subject until later; she probably wanted to talk about it when they were alone.

"Do you think the marker's still there?" Nagisa asked absently as they continued down the hall.

"Dunno, but could we pick up the pace a little?" Makoto said, reverting back to his terrified state and clinging onto Haruka's blue hoodie.

Suddenly, the green-eyed boy stopped, and in doing so prevented Haruka's movement as well. There was a dark silhouette moving towards them from the hallway on their right, and Makoto's breath hitched as he prepared to face the advancing figure. Byakuya had stopped as well, and raised her arms in a defensive stance, ready to unleash all those fighting moves her brother had taught her on whatever it was that was headed their way.

As the figure approached, Byakuya could make out a tall, gangly figure; evidently male. She relaxed slightly upon realizing that it was a normal person and not something supernatural, but did not move out of her defensive stance. The boy looked to be around their age, and was clad in dark sweatpants and a matching jacket over a navy blue shirt. He also wore a shark tooth pendant on a thin string around his neck and a cap on his head, obscuring the view of his face.

When the boy came even closer, Byakuya was able to catch a glimpse of red eyes and maroon hair. Her eyes widened and she let her arms fall to the side immediately. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She could hear Haru's sharp intake of breath next to her; he had clearly seen what she had and come to the same realization.

The figure stopped right in front of the group of teenagers and greeted them curtly in his deep voice.

"Yo."

"...who's that?" Nagisa whispered.

"I can't tell!" Makoto whispered right back.

"I didn't think I'd run into you guys here," the scarlet-haired boy said as he reached behind his head and, in a gesture they all immediately recognized, pulled the elastic band of his cap and let it snap back down.

"Rin-chan!" "Rin!" Nagisa and Makoto both exclaimed in unison as the boy removed his cap. Haruka and Byakuya were both quiet; the dark-haired boy wore an unreadable expression on his face as the girl next to him just gaped at the sight before her.

'I don't believe it...' Byakuya thought to herself, forcing her mouth to shut. 'Rin... Rin's actually here! After all these years!' She put her hand over her mouth, trying to contain her ecstasy.

"Rin-kun. .." she managed to squeak out, her eyes shining with joy.

"You're back from Australia!" Nagisa cried happily, immediately grabbing the boy's hands with his own.

"What are you doing here though? " Makoto asked, obviously referring to why he was in this rundown building like they were.

"It must be fate!" Nagisa proclaimed dramatically. "Some unseen force brought as all here together at the same ti-"

"Haru," Rin called out suddenly, cutting off Nagisa in the middle of his sentence. It was then that Byakuya noticed that Rin's face had remained stone cold the whole time. Not a single ounce of the happiness that she was feeling upon seeing her old friend was even remotely shown on the teen's face. Her good mood plunged drastically; something wasn't right.

"You still hanging out with these guys? You never learn." Rin continued, his voice icy.

Byakuya bristled at the way he said that; like they were beneath him. 'Why the little- he thinks just cuz he's gotten some fancy-ass education overseas he can treat the rest of us like dirt? Why I oughtta...' The girl took a step forward to give the cocky boy a piece of her mind-possibly a piece of her fist too- but Makoto, probably sensing her murderous intent, put a hand on the girl's shoulder to placate her.

"What are you talking about, Rin?" Makoto asked, a hint of hurt showing on his face. Nagisa wore a similar expression, though his disappointment was more evident.

"And what about you?" Haruka interrupted, getting Rin's attention. "Have you learned anything?"

"Haru?" Makoto asked worriedly, but he was interrupted yet again by Rin's arrogant voice, which didn't help satiate Byakuya's fury. She hated it when people talked over Makoto like he wasn't even there.

"I'm glad you asked," The Matsuoka boy smirked and rolled his neck. "Why don't I show you? Let's race, Haru." He said, turning his back on them and walking in the direction of the old pool room like everyone else besides Haru was invisible.

Oh yeah. Byakuya really wanted to strangle the boy with his own intestines now.

"Race?" Makoto exclaimed. Haruka just followed Rin without a single comment. "Haru?" Makoto tried again, but was once again ignored.

Byakuya wouldn't have minded adding Haruka to her hit-list at that moment too.

"...Did we just get ditched?" Nagisa deadpanned as the two boys walked away from them.

"Looks like it." Makoto said, exchanging a look with the blonde. Before Byakuya could blink, the two boys were running after Rin and Haru, leaving her staring after them, stumped.

She just stood there with a blank look on her face for a while before her expression was replaced by one of fury. She then proceeded to take her anger out on the nearest wall, which resulted in more than a few bruises for her. Once her rage subsided, she took out the photo she had taken from the lounge and stared at it for a moment, calming down slightly. She huffed as she placed the photo back in her pocket and chased after the four boys, her short ponytail swaying with the movement.

She really should have sat this out like she did all those entrance ceremonies.

* * *

AN: And shark boy finally appears! Gotta love Rin, even if he did come off as douchey in the beginning. 8'D

We also get more insight on the group's history together this chapter, and a slight cliffie as well. I really can't believe how much my muse is pushing me to write this fic... I'll probably slow down as time goes by, but for now I hope ya'll enjoy the multiple updates! Once again, do leave a comment to tell me what you think so far! Want me to focus on a certain character during a particular scene to come? Want more insight on a particular person?Think my characterisations are okay? Just wanna say hi? Lemme hear from you guys! I won't bite!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

"I'll show you how different we are now." Rin proclaimed as he stripped his shirt off, revealing his well-muscled upper torso.

"Sure," Haruka said casually, though his calm voice had a determined undertone to it. He removed his shirt in a similar manner as Rin did, revealing his own fit body "Go ahead."

As luck would have it, Byakuya burst through the doors of the old pool just in time to witness the two boys whipping off their clothing.

"Oh dear gods, my virgin eyes." She groaned, rubbing her forehead furiously. Having grown up in the company of boys and attending swimming lessons since she could walk, Byakuya was rather passive about seeing half-naked men compared to most hormonal teenage girls her age. To be honest, she was actually sort of sick of seeing all these men and their sweaty, gross... well-toned, gorgeous bodies.

_'Ignoring that last part...'_

"They're gonna swim here?" Nagisa exclaimed in shock, Makoto gaping right along with him.

"Wait a second..." Byakuya said. "Isn't the pool..." her eyes suddenly widened in realization.

"Haru! Wait! That's a bad idea!" Makoto cried out in a panicky voice. He had probably noticed what she had as well. However, Haruka didn't pay them any heed and instead dropped his pants.

Byakuya froze before realizing- with a relieved sigh- that Haruka was wearing the exact same pair of swimming trunks he had that morning. Upon letting this new fact sink in, however, she blanched alongside Makoto and Nagisa.

"You were wearing that the whole day?" Makoto cried.

"Rin-chan too!" Nagisa added, turning all gazes to the redhead who was performing stretches, also clad in swimming trunks which reached down to his ankles.

"That's it." Byakuya grumbled to herself. "I never want to see the gorgeous, droolworthy planes of a man's body ever again."

"What was that, Bya-kun?"

"Nothing."

"Guys, focus! We need to stop them!" Makoto said intently.

"...Do we really?" Nagisa said reluctantly.

_"Oi!"_ Makoto cried out, making Nagisa laugh sheepishly.

"Uh, guys," Byakuya said, trying to talk the two boys out of it as they started to run up to the starting platform. "No, wait! I really think you two should-"

"Let's do this, Haru!" Rin said aggresively as he snapped his goggles onto his eyes.

"Ready!" They both got into positions.

"WAIT!"

"Go-"

Before the two of them could make what would have been the most stupid mistake of their lives, they stopped just in time to notice that the huge pool was empty. There were even a few rats scurrying around the dry, filthy floor of the pool.

"T-there isn't any water..." Nagisa pointed out plainly.

"That's why I told you to stop..." Makoto said exasperatedly.

"Shoulda just let you two idiots jump in and hit the floor. Would've served you right." Byakuya commented, earning a reprimanding gaze from Makoto. Really, that boy was such a mother hen.

"Tch. Lame." Rin said as he stepped off the jumping platform and went to retrieve his clothes. Haruka moved rather slowly off the board, with a peculiar expression in his blue eyes... Frustration? Longing? Relief? Byakuya couldn't tell- she could never read Haru as well as Mako could.

"Oh yeah," Rin called out suddenly, snapping everyone's attention back to him. He tossed up a familiar item and caught it again in his hand. With a start, Byakuya recognized it as the trophy they had won from the relay; the one they buried all those years ago.

'He dug it up... without us?' She thought to herself, feeling a pang of hurt even though they themselves had been about to do the same thing. 'But we didn't know he was back! Couldn't he have contacted one of us? Why... what happened to you, Rin?'

"Oh, our trophy!" Nagisa said in surprise.

"I don't need this thing anymore," Rin said with an arrogant voice and cold eyes. The initial hurt Byakuya felt only worsened as she heard those words fall from his lips. She couldn't see a trace of that happy, loving boy she had once known; standing before her now was a total stranger.

To further increase the shock they were all feeling he carelessly let the trophy fall from his hands. They gasped in shock as their prized trophy clattered onto the floor- luckily the glass didn't shatter. Rin just kept walking away; without so much as a glance back.

"Rin-chan..." Nagisa said quietly, his normally carefree voice laced with hurt and confusion.

Byakuya clenched her fists tightly. It took all of her self-restraint to not start hurling everything she could reach for at the maroon-eyed boy. She wasn't sure why Rin was being such an asshole, but at that moment she didn't care. It was bad enough that he had hurt her feelings, but to hurt her friends like that as well... if_ Nagisa_, of all people, sounded like someone had ripped his heart out and thrown it back at his face, what were the others feeling?

"... he's kinda changed..." Nagisa continued.

'That's the understatement of the year, Nagisa. We don't even know who that is anymore.' Byakuya thought to herself, but for once she didn't say anything. She didn't want to inflict more damage on their already fragile states.

She gazed at Rin's retreating figure, trying to make the connection between the icy teen she was seeing now with that cheerful boy from the past.

She couldn't.

* * *

After the rather depressing encounter, the four teens returned rather despondently to their seperate homes. Makoto and Byakuya returned to the Tachibana household half an hour later than they had promised and received a rather sound lecture courtesy of Mrs Tachibana. Mr Tachibana hadn't said anything; instead he had stood off to the side, shooting the two teens reprimanding yet sympathetic looks. It was obvious he had been on the receiving end of Kotetsu's berates before, and felt somewhat sorry for them.

As they both trudged up the stairs with dampened moods, Byakuya was more than ready to just collapse on her bed. It had been a really draining day- both physically and emotionally.

As she was about to make the turn that would take her to the guest room, she felt Makoto's large hand land on her shoulder, successfully halting her steps.

"An explanation. You promised, remember?" Makoto reminded firmly.

Byakuya groaned and turned apathetically to face the green-eyed boy. "Can't this wait 'til tomorrow? I'm tireddd..."

When the boy's stern expression didn't falter, Byakuya knew she couldn't escape. She really should have known this was coming though; Makoto had a knack for getting people to spill, and he had been on her case ever since that evening.

Grudgingly, Byakuya nodded and dragged her feet as she followed Makoto into his room. They sat down on his bed and both of them leaned against the wall; it was the usual position they assumed whenever they had a deep discussion. And boy, did Byakuya know this was gonna be a long one.

She dug around in her jacket pockets until she brought out the photo she had taken from the lounge and handed it to Makoto. The boy reached out and took it, eyes softening as he recognized what he was looking at.

There was a middle-aged woman in the picture, standing in a pool and wearing a swimsuit. She had long auburn hair which was pulled back and familiar chocolate eyes that sparkled as she gazed smilingly into the camera. Next to her was a boy in his early teens, with grey eyes and short hair the same colour as the woman's. He had one hand loosely draped around the older woman's shoulders and the other wrapped around the waist of a little girl whom he was lifting halfway out of the water. The camera had caught the black-haired girl with her eyes closed as she half-shrieked and laughed with joy.

Makoto looked up from the picture and into Byakuya's eyes, the same warm brown as the woman's in the picture.

It was a photo of the Shion family, back when Mikasa Shion was still alive and healthy.

"That's why I was reluctant about going back," Byakuya said as she retrieved the picture and put it back into her pocket. "I was... afraid. I didn't want to get caught up in all the memories of those happy times, of when my mother was still with us, teaching me and my brother how to swim and just having fun. I didn't want to remember all of that and have to be dragged back into the present, when all that's left of her are memories and a grave marker." She said wistfully, looking down at her fidgeting thumbs.

"...There's more on your mind." Makoto stated matter-of-factly. Damn that boy, he knew how to read her like a book.

"I don't want to talk about it." Byakuya stated stubbornly.

"Byaku-chan..." the olive green-haired boy said quietly. The girl was such a puzzle, really; with how happy she seemed to be all the time, one would think she didn't have a care or concern in the world. But Mako knew better. He saw right through her masks- knew how much she kept bottled up inside.

And he was determined to get her to let it all out before she broke under the pressure.

"Please, Byakuya." He said imploringly, grasping her hand in his own and staring at her straight in the eye.

Byakuya's pulse quickened. She couldn't do this. She hated confronting her true feelings; it would make her a total wreck. She always convinced herself that she was happy, not once turning around to face the music. She didn't want to- wasn't strong enough to. But at Makoto's request and the way he looked at her so pleadingly...

"You'd never push Haru-kun into telling you these sort of things." She grumbled, a last attempt at steering away from the topic at hand.

"Haru is a different case altogether, and you know it. Why won't you just confide in me this time?" The boy inquired insistently. Eh, it had been worth a shot.

"I don't know if I can, Mako." She said quietly."

"Just give it a try- you'll never know until you do."

How she hated his puppy-dog eyes. His were the only ones that could made her waver. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her erratic heartbeat.

"...I was selfish." Byakuya started quietly. "When mom got sick, she still insisted on taking us to the swim club; said that as our mom it was her duty to make sure we had fun even if she was ill. And... I complied without argument. I was so concerned about my own happiness, I tried to forget she was sick. I got out of the house as much as I could, and when I was at home I kept to myself. It was always so quiet and dank in that house after mom got diagnosed; even my brother was miserable. But at least he cared for mom. He looked after her, spent more time with her, took over her responsibilities... all I did was run away, up until the day she died. I still am, and I hate myself for it. But I just can't stop. Going back to the swim club... it just reopened all those wounds."

Here Byakuya stopped, her voice shaking. She drew her knees up to her chest, as if she could somehow physically restrain all the emotions that were threatening to burst out.

Makoto didn't say anything; he simply put his arms around the girl and held her close. He appreciated that Byakuya had trusted him enough to tell him what was really on her mind, even if it did take a little convincing. He was all too aware that her dam of emotions was about to overflow from finally dropping her mask, and he was going to be there for her.

When Byakuya felt Makoto's warm embrace, she finally broke. It was the second time in Mako's life that he had seen her cry since the day before Rin left. She bawled into the boy's chest; probably soaking his shirt, but he didn't comment on it or move away.

"It's alright," he said comfortingly, slowly running his fingers through her hair, which had come loose from it's usual ponytail at some point. "It's okay, you don't have to hold back. I'm here, don't worry."

"Dammit, Mako." Byakuya managed to choke out through her sobs. "I really don't deserve someone like you." And she truly felt she didn't. Makoto was a wonderful person and companion; he always gave and never expected anything in return. No matter how much she revealed about herself- how dark and ugly she truly was on the inside- He would always see the good in her and reassure her of it. Her grip tightened on the boy's shirt; she didn't know what she'd do without him.

The boy chuckled and just rubbed her back soothingly, trying to calm the girl down. He was her pillar of support, just as he was with all of his friends- and he silently swore that he always would be.

It was at that moment that Makoto realized with a start just how much he cared for the girl that was before him now.

When Byakuya felt Makoto stiffen slightly under her, she paused and glanced up at him worriedly.

"Mako?" She asked in concern.

The boy blinked out of his stupor and looked down into the girl's brown eyes. He just smiled and reassured her.

"It's nothing. I just remembered I forgot to tell Nagisa something." He lied.

The girl laughed weakly. "Well, with everything that's happened with Rin and my pathetic breakdown, I'm surprised you even recall that now." She said as she straightened up, rubbing away her tears with her sleeve. Makoto reluctantly released her, cursing his stupid bodily reflexes for ruining the moment.

"Hey... uhm, Mako?" Byakuya asked hesitatingly after a beat of silence. The boy tilted his head inquisitively.

"What is it?"

"It's just...I was wondering if... could I sleep with you again?" She asked as she fidgeted, not quite realizing how suggestive the statement sounded. It was a request she had only asked Makoto for twice in her whole life- once when she was 8 and had a huge blowout with her brother, and again on the day of her mother's burial.

Makoto started and tried to suppress the rising colour in his cheeks at the words she used. He wasn't a saint; he was quite aware of the double meaning the words could have carried.

Though he knew she didn't mean it that way- she had made the request with the exact same words when they were younger- he was highly tempted to say no. But when he looked at the embarassed girl who was gazing down at the floor, unable to even meet his eyes as she asked the innocent question, he caved in.

"Alright." He said, his face heating up slightly. Byakuya perked up at his compliance immediately.

"Thanks, Mako." She said gratefully as she settled herself onto the left side of the bed against the wall, lying on her side like she had the past two times she had shared his sleeping space.

Makoto swallowed hard as he lay down on his side of the bed, facing the girl as he did so. This was the first time he had ever felt so nervous when Byakuya had done this- probably because they were both older now and were not quite so childishly innocent. He was all too aware of her body so close to his own and the feel of her breath against his face.

Makoto silently cursed puberty and all the confusing emotions that came with it.

"Good night, Makoto." Byakuya said, closing her eyes.

"Good night... Byakuya." Makoto replied as he turned around briefly to stretch out his arm and flick off the lights.

'This is gonna be a really crazy year.' Makoto thought to himself as he sighed and let sleep overtake him.

He didn't know just how right he was.

* * *

AN: I know the whole "best-friends-becoming-lovers" thing is pretty clichéd, but I'm trying to break away from the norm a little with that trope. The development between Makoto and Byakuya won't be overly dramatic or anything, it will be slow and steady- two friends accepting that they like each other and testing the waters before jumping in. There will be no dramatic fallout, no jealous love triangles or anything of the sort, so if you were hoping for that, I'm sorry, but... 8'D

The plot won't be too focused on the duo's romantic development either- though it will be a slightly more central point of the story- it will share the spotlight with the other relationships between the cast; I want to focus on the other characters as well. Also, we're keeping things T-rated here- this is probably as fluffy as it's gonna get. So yeah, I just needed to clear some things up. Also, shout out to the two peeps who have followed this story! NeutralEvilz and myrainbowsoul, thank you! I hope ya'll stick around for the continuation of this newbie's fic!

Do feel free to review or message me if you guys have anything to say or ask about the story; constructive criticism is most appreciated! See ya'll soon!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

Makoto stirred from his slumber as he heard the sound of childish giggling. He groaned as he tightened his hold on his pillow, trying to go back to sleep. The giggling only increased as he did so.

Blearily opening his eyes, he managed to make out the forms of his twin siblings standing at the foot of the bed, trying-and failing- to stifle their laughter with their hands.

"What are you two-" he croaked out before his 'pillow' shifted slightly under his grasp. He stiffened and slowly turned his head towards the source of the movement. His arm had been wrapped around the sleeping form of Byakuya Shion, who was snoring rather ungracefully with her mouth wide open. Paired with her hair which looked like a rat's nest, she wasn't the most picturesque sight to behold first thing in the morning.

Makoto jerked awake immediately and he shot right out of bed, removing his hold around the girl's waist as he did so. Byakuya simply snorted slightly at the movement before rolling over, face in the pillow as she continued snoring.

Makoto was starting to question why he liked the girl in the first place.

"Mako-nii and Byaku-nee, sitting in a tree~" Ran sang as she grinned cheekily at her brother.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Ren continued, singing right along with his sister as they burst into laughter at the end.

"O-oi! Cut it out!" Makoto exclaimed, his face turning red.

"Mako-nii is embarassed!" Ran squealed loudly.

"His face looks like a tomato!" Ren added.

"Mako-nii likes Byaku-nee~! They teased in unison.

"You two littl-" Makoto started, leaning forward to grab at the two, but was cut off by a loud exclamation coming from the doorway of his room.

"MAKOTO TACHIBANA!" His mother shouted as she stared with wide eyes from the open door of his bedroom. Makoto gulped nervously. What had he gotten himself into now?

"Wha..?" Byakuya said blearily, choosing that moment to raise her head from the pillow. She blinked sleepily at the scene before her. "Whas gon on?" She managed to utter before the twins took it upon themselves to assault the semi-conscious girl, who groaned and let her head hit the pillow again.

"I AM SO-" Makoto cringed at his mother's loud voice. He waited to be berated for being caught with a girl in his bed, when suddenly...

"-SO PROUD OF YOU!" Kotetsu finished, eyes gleaming with tears of happiness.

Makoto blanched.

"Wh-what?" He peeped out in surprise.

"Oh, Mikasa and I had dreamed about this day!" His mother cried out and threw her arms around his neck tightly, nearly suffocating the poor boy. "You two have finally gotten together! It's taken forever! How did you manage to scrape together the courage to-"

"Mom, mom, wait!" Makoto said quickly, cutting off his mom's delighted ramblings. "It's not what you think! Byaku-chan just fell asleep here last night, that's all!"

His mother's face fell. "Oh... Ahhhh, and to think I got my hopes up for nothing! When will my little boy finally get a girlfriend?" She complained.

"M-mom, please..." he tried to intervene, sweatdropping.

"I'm serious! What if something happens to me? What are you gonna do without a woman in your life?"

"Alright, alright, I'm up. What'd I miss?" Byakuya groaned out as she finally shook the twins off of her and stood up, stretching.

"Nothing!" Makoto said quickly. "Anyway, we need to get ready for school, Byaku-chan, so up and at it!" He said far too enthusiastically and literally shoved everyone out of his room before slamming the door in their faces.

"...Did I miss something?" Byakuya asked confusedly.

"Oh, nothing important!" Mrs Tachibana replied cheerily. "Just discussing future wedding plans with my son."

Makoto let out a yell from inside his room.

"Oh...kay?" Byakuya said, sweatdropping. The woman's bright and cheerful mood was somewhat creepy and Byakuya started inching away slowly. "I'm gonna go change now..."

"You go do that~" Mrs Tachibana replied and spun around, practically prancing down the hallway.

Byakuya looked at the twins, who were giggling and whispering to each other. "I don't suppose you two know why your mom looks like she's just won the lottery?"

The twins simply glanced at each other before looking up at her with knowing grins.

"That's for us to know..." Ren started.

"And for you to find out!" Ran finished as they both burst into laughter and ran after their mother.

The black-haired girl just stared in the direction they had gone before shrugging and heading towards the guest room. It was way too early to think too hard on this.

* * *

Haruka Nanase opened his ocean-blue eyes as he awoke from the nap he was taking. He gazed up at the clear sky from his spot on the grassy field.

"... A dream?" He asked no one in particular.

"It wasn't a dream!" Makoto cried in exasperation. It was recess now, and the four of them had been sitting in a grassy area behind the school building.

"I don't get it though; Rin-chan was really weird..." Nagisa pondered out loud, crossing his arms and taking a thoughtful look upon his face.

"Look-alike." Haruka said simply. Byakuya choked on her water and Nagisa had to pat her back to help her cough it up.

"Why would a look-alike challenge you to a race?" Makoto deadpanned.

"A ghost, then." Haruka said, rolling over onto his side and facing away from his friends as he closed his eyes. He really didn't want to talk about Rin right now... not ever, really. The situation with their former friend was something he felt they couldn't handle. Only he knew some semblance of truth behind Rin's behaviour, and he needed to deal with it alone.

"He wasn't floating." Nagisa pointed out.

"Doppelganger." Haruka responded.

"Oh, that takes me back!" Makoto said as he recalled something.

"You mean that weird posing thing my mom taught us?" Byakuya asked.

"It wasn't weird! We used to do it all the time at the swim club!" Makoto declared as he crossed his arms in a peculiar way and assumed a pose. Nagisa yawned while Byakuya's face fell into her hands. "Super Fusion: Doppelg-"

"Keep it down, Makoto." Haruka said despondently as he slowly sat back up again.

"Yeah, no matter what you say, it's still weird." Byakuya commented.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Makoto cried out as he stood up, exasperated at all the negative feedback he was receiving.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Nagisa added.

"Hey!" Makoto exclaimed, annoyed.

As the four of them bantered, they failed to notice a familiar redheaded girl watching them from afar.

"Do you know those guys?" The girl's light-haired companion asked as she walked up to her.

The girl nodded, her long ponytail bobbing with the movement. "Yep. Haruka Nanase. Makoto Tachibana. Nagisa Hazuki. Byakuya Shion." She said, gesturing to each of the respsctive individuals. "What they all have in common is that they all used to belong to the same swimming club. And they all have names normally reserved for the opposite gender."

"What's your relationship with them?" Her green-eyed friend whispered as she leaned in closer to the girl's ear.

"That's a secret." The maroon-eyed girl responded, placing a finger upon her lips in a gesture of silence.

"So, you've got something in common with them too." Her friend commented. "Since you're a girl with a boyish name."

A vein popped on the addressed girl's forehead.

"Seriously... STOP CALLING ME GOU!" She shouted, making her companion jump back in surprise.

* * *

"You see, sir, we'd assumed that since the building was abandoned, it wasn't-"

"Come on!" Mr Hasegawa cut Byakuya off angrily in the middle of her explanation. "It may be abandoned, but it's still considered trespassing if you go in without permission; understand?"

"...Fine. Sorry." Byakuya growled out. "Grouchy old coot." She muttered under her breath, earning a sharp step on her foot from Nagisa.

The two of them along with Makoto were currently standing in front of Mr Hasegawa's desk in the faculty office as he berated them for their "illegal venture" last night. How the teacher had found out about it; they had no idea.

"I apologize." Makoto said meekly.

"We're sorry." Nagisa added, bowing his head in shame, directing the apology at the teacher and not the girl who was swearing under her breath at having her foot stomped on.

The teacher let out a long exhale, seemingly appeased by their mostly- Shion had seemed a little reluctant- sincere apologies. "Where's Nanase?" He asked, only just noticing the boy's absence.

"He left early this afternoon." Makoto explained.

"Again?" Mr Hasegawa sighed.

"Now, now, I think that's enough." Miss Amakata cut in, suddenly walking up to the table.

"Remember what Li Bai once said, 'In human life, accomplishment must bring total joy,'" she quoted sagely. "'Do not allow an empty goblet to face the moon.'"

Everyone, including Mr Hasegawa, deadpanned.

"'You only have one life, so you should do what you want,'" The young teacher continued, utterly oblivious to the response- or lack thereof- of her audience. "'It would be foolish not to drink from the glass placed before you!' Right?" She finished with a cute pose.

"...was that supposed to mean something? Cuz I'm not getting it." Byakuya whispered to her two friends. She appreciated the teacher's intervention, but she was totally lost when Miss Amakata started quoting that Ai dude or whoever it was. Nagisa gave her an exasperated look that made her feel like an idiot.

"Huh?" Miss Amakata exclaimed as she realized that her audience had not understood a single thing she'd said.

"Probably not." Byakuya muttered.

* * *

"Rin Matsuoka... Rin Matsuoka..." Nagisa muttered to himself as he and his two buddies looked at the individual name plates of the lockers in the locker room. "Does he really go to our school?" He asked quizically.

"If he's back from Australia, he might have transferred over here." Makoto replied, walking slowly along his row as he read each name, searching for Rin's.

"But wouldn't we have seen him by now, if that was so?" Byakuya said over her shoulder as she glanced back at her companions.

"Yeah, I didn't see him at the opening ceremony..." Nagisa muttered.

Suddenly Makoto inhaled sharply. "Found him!" He exclaimed.

Nagisa ran to Makoto's locker row faster than a jack rabbit in heat.

"For real?"

"No, wait," Makoto said, his tone losing its initial excitement. "Matsuoka... Gou?"

"That sounds familiar..." Makoto mused out loud before he gasped in realization.

"I remember now! That girl on the roof yesterday... that was Rin's younger sister!"

* * *

Gou Matsuoka- or rather, 'Kou', as she preferred to be called- rang the doorbell of Haruka Nanase's house. She had been meaning to talk to the boy who had been one of her brother's closest friends ever since she'd seen him on the roof that day- she had even gone through the trouble of acquiring the boy's address. She had so many questions to ask him, and when there was no response from the resident of the house she sighed. Looked like her questions were going to have to wait...

As she gazed despondently at the ground, she didn't notice the figure standing right behind her as she spun around and collided with said figure, who let out a slight "oof!"

"Ah!" Kou exclaimed as she looked up at the person she'd hit. With a start, she recognized the broad-shouldered form of Byakuya Shion. The older girl was standing with Nagisa Hazuki and Makoto Tachibana.

"S-sorry about that!" Kou apologized profusely to the girl, who simply brushed it off.

"It's okay," the girl shrugged and smiled. "I was standing pretty close anyway."

"Anyways, Gou Matsuoka, right?" Makoto cut in, smiling. The addressed girl tried not to twitch at the mispronunciation of her name, but before she could correct him Makoto continued. "I know this is sudden, but would you mind coming out for a walk with us?"

* * *

"Ehh, so you chose Iwatobi High too, huh, Gou-chan?" Nagisa asked as he sat down on the sealed-off well next to the girl. The four teens had walked up to a rotunda on a nearby hill that offered a beautiful view of ocean, which was currently bathed in the rays of the mid-afternoon sun.

"Don't call me Gou!" The girl huffed. "Everyone calls me Kou!"

"Eh why?" Nagisa asked. "Isn't your name Gou, like the third daughter of the Sengoku warlord, Nagamasa Azai?" He recalled. The boy always did have a knack for History, and he honestly wondered why the girl would want to correct her rather-in his opinion, at least- awesome name.

"That's true..." Gou responded quietly. "But Kou is the typical reading, so call me that!" She added quickly. "That would be the nice thing to do."

Byakuya snorted as the two underclassmen had a glaring contest. Really, girls could be so sensitive about the most trivial things... she herself had a masculine name, but unlike Kou she actually liked it.

"Uh... putting that stuff aside..." Makoto said in an attempt to calm the two down.

It backfired.

"'That stuff'?" Kou demanded, a fierce expression on her face as she spun around to face Makoto, who jumped.

"Eheh, sorry..." Makoto apologized. "But I meant to ask... what were you doing at Haru's place?"

"Oh! Well..." Kou said, scratching her cheek and feeling somewhat flustered at the question. She considered lying for a moment, but since she couldn't think up a good fib, she went with the truth. "I wanted to ask him about my brother."

"So, Rin's really back from Australia, then?" Makoto asked.

"He returned last month, and is attending Samezuka Academy now." Kou explained with a hint of sadness. "It's a boarding school, so he hasn't come home yet."

"Samezuka?" Makoto exclaimed in awe. "The swimming powerhouse?"

"Yep. That's the one." Kou confirmed.

"Wow... to think Rin-chan's gotten into such an amazing school... I wonder how much better his swimming's gotten?" Nagisa pondered out loud.

"It doesn't quite add up, though." Byakuya said, speaking up for the first time since they had arrived at the hill. "Samezuka's great and all, but why leave Australia? Why return here?"

Nagisa frowned at the whole situation. Rin was back, but no one knew what for. He'd changed a lot as well, and Nagisa was determined to find out why. Rin had hurt his feelings pretty badly yesterday, but he figured that the boy must have had his reasons. Nagisa knew that the old Rin was still in there somewhere; he just needed to bring him back somehow. The blonde boy pumped his fist determinedly.

"That's that then!" He exclaimed. "We're gonna go to Samezuka Academy! And we're gonna find Rin-chan and get him to explain everything!"

* * *

"No." Haruka deadpanned. The three other teens had broken into his house through the back door again and forced him out of his tub. He was pretty miffed.

"Aww cmon Haru-chan! Let's go to Samezuka Academy!" Nagisa begged.

"Don't you want to see Rin?" Makoto added.

"After how rude he was, I'm surprised you guys even want to see him at all without even the slightest notion of punching him in th- OW!" Byakuya exclaimed as she earned a jab in the ribs from both Nagisa and Makoto.

"We saw him yesterday. " Haruka responded noncomittedly as he dried his hair with a towel.

Makoto sighed. "And here I was thinking you'd finally gonna get to swim if you came along."

Haruka paused at this. Byakuya hid her smirk with a hand as she realized the card Makoto was pulling.

"Samezuka is supposed to have a large indoor pool." That did it.

Byakuya burst into laughter when Haru had looked up with shining eyes, obviously falling for the trap Makoto had laid out.

'Oh Mako.' She thought as she wiped away her tears of laughter. 'You really are a sly little monkey.'

* * *

AN: And we finally have a name to the elusive, feisty redheaded female of the series! Ah Kou, you lucky girl, getting to be surrounded by all those gorgeous men.

Not sure if you guys noticed, but Makoto is the only guy Byakuya addresses without any suffix. If you didn't know, normally only close friends do that with each other, which depicts how comfortable Byakuya is with Makoto compared to the other guys. Not a surprise really- it's impossible not to grow attached to that adorable gorilla. (I can't believe I just compared Mako to a simian. Twice.)

A shout out to gr8ydolphin for following this story and NotSauron for the review! I'm glad you guys found the story somewhat worthy of such attention, I pray I don't disappoint xD

To answer you, NotSauron (Love your name xD) I really appreciate your input and I'll do my best to follow your advice (it WAS a helpful review by the way!) To be honest, I was actually thinking about Kuchiki when I named Byakuya, haha! And I'm glad the OC, pacing and characterization is okay for you, I was pretty worried about those. I'm planning to add more original moments later on, but I'm hoping not to change or influence the original storyline too much because I don't want to make the progression such that the character growths and plotline seem to be because of Byakuya, and I also plan to give her her own maturation as well. She will be swimming later on too, but she won't be doing so in a major way. And don't worry, I have no intention whatsoever of making her a perfect swimmer or anything; at the most she would have been pretty good back as a kid, but naturally her capabilites will have decreased due to lack of training. And I definitely agree with what you said about the individual development of strength in girls and boys- guys naturally gain muscle faster (and Haru's a total prodigy to boot, so there's no way Byakuya could match up to that). Again, thanks so much for the review! I hope I'll be able to live upto your expectations!

Thanks for reading this chapter you guys, feel free to leave a comment! See ya next water time!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

The four teens were riding the train to the station nearest to Samezuka Academy. They had all agreed to go to Samezuka that evening after their own school hours had ended, determined to confront Rin.

Nagisa had fallen asleep before they were even halfway through the journey and his head was lolling on Haruka's shoulder. Makoto wasn't much better; he was already starting to nod off and was leaning heavily on Byakuya, who was seated in between him and Nagisa. Thanks to her broad frame, Byakuya was able to handle the weight of the larger boy on her. She stifled her laughter with her hand at Haruka's discomforted expression; even after all these years the boy was still not used to physical contact.

The boy gave her an exasperated look and proceeded to gaze out the window , a thousand thoughts running through his head. They were going to see Rin again, and he didn't know what they were going to do when they did. Nagisa had made it seem so simple; find Rin and ask him why he acted the way he did yesterday, but Haruka knew it wasn't so easy. Rin's attitude wasn't a fleeting, temporary thing, it went much deeper than that; even Haru himself wasn't sure of the whole story behind it. He highly doubted Rin was going to bare his soul to them if they just asked like that. And then there was the matter of the race Rin had challenged him to... just what was he to do?

"Yknow," Byakuya suddenly said quietly, snapping the boy out of his train of thought. "It wouldn't hurt for you to tell us what's on your mind sometimes. I know I'm hardly one to talk but... We're your friends; we're here for you. You know that, don't you Haru-kun?" She asked, brown eyes gazing piercingly into his azure ones.

Haruka was silent. To be honest, he was quite surprised that out of everyone, Byakuya would be the one to broach the topic- most of the time she hated talking about things like feelings and serious matters. But as for her question...He _did_ know that his friends cared for him greatly; and he acknowledged it in that quiet manner of his. Granted, he did have things he wanted to say sometimes, but he just didn't know how to say it or found it unnecessary. And there were some subjects that he needed to face alone; things he couldn't bring his friends into. In his own way, he was just trying to protect them. What he didn't realize however was that his silence tended to put up walls that pushed people away, leaving himself alone in his fort of solitude.

Brown eyes watched the raven-haired boy as he returned his gaze to the window. She felt frustration bubble inside of her; just what was he thinking? She guessed that her words had some sort of impact on the boy, but she couldn't tell if it was in a good or bad sense. She didn't know why she had attempted to coax the boy into talking about it- it had been a spur of the moment thing- and she was starting to feel awkward. It was like the silent teen hadn't even budged.

She really wished she had Makoto's persuasion skills now.

She sighed and laid her head against Mako's, letting her eyes shut. She figured she might as well get some rest before the big confrontation with Rin instead of pursuing a topic that seemed to be going nowhere.

Just before she drifted to sleep, she heard Haru mutter something. She wasn't sure, but she could've sworn it was a soft "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Hey, you're slowing down, Nakagawa! Move!"

The four friends ducked their heads immediately as they heard the voice ring through the walls of Samezuka Academy. They had arrived at the school in the middle of the evening, and they were currently sneaking around outside, passing the indoor pool as they did so. After the voice died away, they risked a peek through the glass.

"Do you see Rin-chan anywhere?" Nagisa asked as he peered through the glass. He had to stand on his tiptoes and just to be able to see through the window.

"Can't find him. Maybe he's out today." Makoto replied. The boy was so tall he didn't struggle at all to reach the glass like his friend did as he gazed at what he could see of the indoor pool.

"Hey, Haru-" Makoto started, but was suddenly cut off by a small shriek from Byakuya. Both he and Nagisa turned around and blanched as they beheld Haruka unbuttoning his shirt.

Makoto lunged forth and grabbed Haruka's hands before he could remove his pants as well. "Don't take off your clothes here!" He cried.

"You were the one who brought me here to swim!" Haruka said accusingly, emitting more emotion in that moment than he had the whole day- all because something now stood between him and his precious pool. Makoto couldn't argue with that statement.

"I'm friends with a stripper. A reckless, hydrophilic, extremely attractive stripper." Byakuya grumbled to no one in particular.

"What was that, Byaku-chan?"

"Nothing."

"Wait, Haru-chan!" Nagisa said placatingly, being the voice of reason this time. "Let's just wait until practice is over and everyone's gone. Okay?"

"It's still considered trespassing. " Makoto said miserably. Byakuya winced at the thought of getting another lecture from Mr Hasegawa. That old fart could really nag.

"It'll be fine!" Nagisa argued. "The teacher earlier said that we should do what we want with our li-" The blonde was cut off by yet another shriek from Byakuya.

Turned out Haruka had decided to continue stripping down to his swimming trunks anyway.

"Can't you wait?" Makoto shouted exasperatedly.

Nagisa and Byakuya simply sighed.

* * *

It was late evening before the group managed to sneak into the huge indoor pool. People weren't exaggerating when they said Samezuka had one of the best swimming clubs in Japan; the condition of their training grounds was enough testament to the school's reputation.

"It's amazing.." Byakuya said in awe, turning her head around as she took in the sight of the impressive structure.

"I still think this is a bad idea..." Makoto said worriedly.

Haruka however held no such concerns and immediately stripped off and jumped into the pool.

"Wait!" Makoto cried out too late as Haruka splashed into the water. "Oh come on..."

The raven-haired boy ignored his friend's exclamations and just started swimming, arms moving in strong, graceful strokes as his legs kicked and propelled him forward. He looked so peaceful and carefree in the water... it was like he was born to swim.

"Even after all these years, Haru-chan still reminds me of a dolphin." Nagisa said as he gazed on wistfully.

"Mako-chan! Bya-kun! Let's go swim with him!" The blonde suddenly suggested enthusiastically.

"Hell no!" Makoto exclaimed. "We'll get in trouble if someone finds us!"

"Mako, I'm sorry, but... please don't tell Kotetsu-obasan about this." Byakuya pleaded before stripping out of her uniform- Makoto's face turned red as she did so- and revealing the black one-piece swimsuit she wore underneath.

"Not you too, Byaku-chan!" Makoto said, horrified. The girl shot him an apologetic glance before shooting off and diving into the water after Haruka.

"... we still need to search for Rin." Makoto sighed exasperatedly.

"We can take a little dip first." Nagisa said nonchalantly as he himself started taking off his clothes. "No one will find us if we don't turn on the lights."

"But you didn't bring a swimsuit!"

"A little skinny dip then." Nagisa explained plainly. Makoto's jaw dropped as Nagisa simply removed his entire uniform. The boy wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"WHAT?"

"Ah, I can swim~" Nagisa cried as he ran towards the pool.

"Wai-"

But Makoto was- once again- ignored. Nagisa let out a shout of joy as he jumped into the pool. Byakuya shrieked as the naked boy landed near her position. "What the hell, Nagi-kun?"

Makoto facepalmed. This wasn't happening...

"Mako-chan, come over here a second." Nagisa called out.

"What now?" Makoto sighed as he walked towards the boy who had called out.

"I'm not gonna j-" Before he could finish his sentence, Nagisa grabbed and pulled at his ankle, making the sandy-haired boy lose his balance. "Y-you gotta be kidding me!" He cried out as he fell into the water against his own will.

Byakuya burst into laughter until she saw Makoto rise from the water. With his drenched hair obscuring his face darkly and his large stature, he looked pretty damn intimidating. Byakuya stopped laughing immediately and sweatdropped.

She also couldn't help but notice the way his wet shirt clung to his torso, accentuating his muscular arms and toned chest. Sexy.

'IGNORING THAT THOUGHT...' She thought forcefully, smothering the blush that threatened to rise.

"Hahaha! You looked like an elephant falling in!" Nagisa laughed. Apparently he had no qualms about offending the scary-looking Makoto.

Makoto growled and forcefully yanked off his shirt. Byakuya backed away slowly and couldn't restrain the blush again as it came at full force.

"Seriously..." Makoto hissed out and stalked towards the younger boy. "Nagisa..."

The blonde just grinned as he swam out of the tall boy's reach and splashed water at him. "Take that!"

"Hey!" Makoto cried as he raised his arms to block the water from splashing his face. He slowly broke into a grin and splashed Nagisa right back, the water hitting Byakuya as well. "There!"

"Why you-" Byakuya smiled as she partook in the water fight. Soon the three of them were laughing gaily as they flung water at each other.

Haruka just floated peacefully in the water with his eyes shut. He could have stayed that way forever...

Suddenly, the door to the pool clicked open, disrupting the moment. A familiar figure clad in a white uniform stalked up to the edge of the pool.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rin demanded.

"Rin!" Makoto exclaimed in surprise.

"We came here to see you!" Nagisa explained.

"Get out!" Rin shouted back.

"Rin-chan..." Nagisa said as he gazed sadly at the redhead. He just didn't understand, why wasn't he as happy to see them as they were to see him? He was starting to regret coming here... but he still wanted to understand why Rin was acting the way he was.

Byakuya's temper flared as she gritted her teeth and scowled at Rin- the way Nagisa looked so miserable broke her heart . "You fuckin j-"

Before she could finish her insult, Haru swam in front of them, coming between the trio and Rin.

"...Free." Haruka said quietly.

"Huh?" Rin's eyes narrowed at the boy.

"Did you forget? I told you that I only swim freestyle." Haru replied firmly.

"Haru-chan?"

"Haru..."

Byakuya just watched on wordlessly.

Haruka lifted himself out of the water and stood in front of Rin. 'About three years until I'm ordinary.' He thought to himself, recalling what he had been thinking about that day while soaking in the bathtub. 'I guess it couldn't wait hurt to wait a little longer.'

The teen shook his head from side to side, flipping all the loose water droplets off his hair. He had a determined look on his face and even wore a small smirk.

"I want you to show me that sight again. I forgot what it was I saw." He challenged.

Rin looked surprised for a moment before a cold grin broke out across his face. "Yeah. I can do that."

Nagisa shuddered slightly at the sight of Rin's expression. It looked so out of place on the face of the boy he once knew. Rin really had changed; this just proved it.

"But it won't be the same this time." Rin continued, staring Haruka dead in the eye with an almost malicious gleam in his own. "This time...I'll be showing you something completely different!"

* * *

"As always, I can't make any sense of you." Rin commented none too idly as he placed his goggles over his head. The boy had changed into his swimsuit and was getting ready to race Haruka- this time in a pool that was actually filled.

The other three outsiders had- rather grudgingly- gotten out of the pool to make way for the two racers. They had partially dressed back in their uniforms and were standing by the sidelines as they watched the two boys get their swimming gear ready.

"Whatever." Haruka replied blandly. After Rin had accepted his challenge, he had reverted back to his nonchalant self. The boy really had a knack for retaining his composure. "You'd better get ready, Rin."

The scarlet-haired boy closed his eyes and smirked. "And you're as icy as ever." He said as he recalled their younger days. Even as a kid Haruka had been quiet and stand-offish. Back then, Rin was rather indulgent with the boy's attitude and seemed to accept it. But the words that came out of his mouth next...

"Yeah. That really pisses me off."

...utterly contradicted such notions now.

"Makoto." Haruka called, gaining his best friend's attention. "Give us the start signal."

Makoto seemed somewhat reluctant, but didn't deny Haru his request. "Okay." He wasn't sure exactly what was going on that made the two teens want to race so badly, but he trusted Haruka's judgement.

"We'll race 100 meters," Rin said as he and Haru stepped onto their respective jumping platform. "Freestyle."

Makoto took a deep breath as the two boys got into starting positions, waiting for his signal.

"Ready,"

The racers' muscles coiled...

"Go!"

And they shot off, diving into the water nearly flawlessly.

"Amazing!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Rin-chan has a strong kick!"

"However..." Makoto contradicted. "Haru's stroke is faster."

"It could be anyone's game." Byakuya commented.

As the two boys swam at top speed towards the opposite end of the pool, Byakuya didn't know who to watch. Were it anyone else, she wouldn't have been able to pry her eyes from Haru's graceful yet powerful swimming form. However, Rin's more rugged, aggressive movements demanded just as much attention from any onlooker.

Byakuya couldn't help but feel a horrible sense of foreboding and unconsciously clutched Makoto's arm.

Somehow, this wasn't going to end well.

* * *

AN: And that marks the end of the story up until episode 1! *cries because the thought of 7 chapters per episode sob*  
Anyhoo, pretty short chapter, I know, but I couldn't fit in much original content and insight here besides the interaction between Haru and Byakuya. I'm also gonna try to input more Nagisa moments in the fic, since I haven't done much of that up to this point. I'm sorry for not doing so earlier, but I seem to be more in-tune with Haruka's POV than the rest of the cast (Main character and all) so I guess I kinda gave him most of the spotlight 8'D

Many thanks to arachnidsgabfest for adding this story to your favourites and alerts! I'm happy that you found this fic worthy of a fav, I hope I can keep your interest in this fic up!

So yeah, that's it for this AN. Please leave a review to tell me what ya'll think about the fic so far! See ya next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

Rin Matsuoka sat in the darkness of his dorm, illuminated slightly by the light of his cell phone. It was nearly half-past two in the morning, and he was still wide awake. He was currently staring at an e-mail he had received from his sister, Gou, re-reading the message over and over again.

In a fit of rage, he threw the phone across the bed. "Dammit!" He cursed angrily. He didn't care that his roommate had stirred slightly in his slumber; Nitori would just have to deal with it.

The message he had received was fairly simple and meant in good faith, but it had only served to irk him.

"Did you manage to see Nanase-san and the other guys?"

The maroon-eyed boy clutched at his head in agony and frustration as he recalled the events earlier that day.

'Does this mean... I can't ever beat him?'

Rin didn't get any sleep that night, though it wasn't anything new. He hardly ever did anymore.

* * *

"IDIOTS!" Mr Hasegawa's outraged voice rang throughout the faculty office. "Do you even feel bad about what you've done?" The teacher was currently confronting the four students who had trespassed into Samezuka Academy yesterday- the same four that broke into the abandoned swim club earlier that week. This time Haruka didn't get to weasel out of the lecture.

"Sorry.." Makoto apologized quietly. It was the second time he'd been shouted at by a teacher this week- his mom was going to blow her top when she found out.

"First, you trespass into an abandoned building, and now you trespass into another school's pool?" Mr Hasegawa continued.

"Thank you for summarizing it for us." Byakuya muttered sarcastically. Nagisa stomped on her foot- deja vu much?

"Honestly..." the discipline teacher said, putting a hand on his face. "We're just lucky they agreed not to make a big deal out of this."

"Now, now. I think that's enough." The familiar voice of Miss Amakata interjected once again. Byakuya was starting to like the teacher, even if she didn't understand what the hell her weird proverbs meant.

"There's a famous saying that can be applied to this situation." Placing her hand over her chest in a dramatic gesture, the young woman continued. "In Ancient China during the era of the Shang Dynasty, Duke Tai of Chi would fish without any bait-"

"I hate fish." Mr Hasegawa cut in with a deadpan expression. Haruka frowned. Who on earth could dislike fish?

"...Excuse me." Miss Amakata apologized meekly while bowing.

Byakuya snorted. This time Nagisa nearly crushed her foot.

Damn, that boy had strong legs.

* * *

"Miss Ama-chan wasn't much help..." Nagisa said as the group walked through the halls of the school. They had left the faculty office after Mr Hasegawa had deducted points from them for their actions yesterday.

"I wonder how that fish saying goes..." Makoto mused thoughtfully.

"Why? It's not like we would've understood it anyway..." Byakuya said.

"Maybe you wouldn't have, Bya-kun. You suck at Literature."

"I resent that."

"Anyways, Haru, do you kn-" but Makoto cut himself off when he realized with a start that Haru wasn't standing with them.

"Haru-chan's over there!" Nagisa pointed out, gesturing to the boy who was silently walking in the other direction, already out of the school's doors.

"When did that happen?" Makoto sighed.

"Ah," Nagisa suddenly called out. "Gou-chan!" He greeted the redheaded girl enthusiastically as she made her way towards them.

"I told you to call me Kou!" She replied exasperatedly.

"Does it really matter?" Nagisa asked rhetorically.

"Yes it does! I'm Kou!"

"Gou."

"Kou!"

"Gou."

"Kou!"

"Kou."

"Gou!"

"...Damn you!" The girl cried as she realized what she'd just been tricked into saying, grabbed her head in frustration.

Byakuya snickered while Nagisa- the cheeky little fox- grinned and made the peace sign at Kou.

* * *

"So... were you able to see my brother?" Kou asked hesitantly as the four of them stood in a stairwell of the school building.

"Yeah, about that.. Rin-chan's so mean!" Nagisa exclaimed.

Byakuya snorted. She would've used a much harsher word than "mean"... Nagisa really was too optimistic and innocent for his own good. Even after Rin had hurt his feelings so badly, he still saw the boy in a good light. Byakuya on the other hand was more than ready to blacklist the guy.

"We hadn't seen each other in four years, and the first thing he does is challenge Haru-chan to a race!" The blonde continued. "He completely ignored me and Mako-chan and Bya-kun. We didn't get a chance to talk about anything!"

"Have you heard anything from your brother, Kou-chan?" Makoto inquired.

The girl shook her head sadly. "I tried e-mailing him and calling his cell with no luck. I even called his dorm room number and got no response."

"What kind of brother just ignores his younger sibling like that?" Byakuya exclaimed. Her anger towards Rin escalated further. She herself had her loving older brother to lean on- she didn't know what she'd do if Aoi shut her out her like Rin was doing now. Makoto placed a placating hand on her arm, calming her down slightly.

Kou started slightly at the anger in the older girl's voice. She'd never heard Byakuya use that tone in years- not since the girl had beaten up Jinta Miyazaki in grade school for bullying Kou when she was younger.

"...How come Rin-chan's changed so much?" Nagisa asked quietly. "Did something happen in Australia?"

"I don't know either." Kou said with a downcast expression. "I was hoping he would have opened up after meeting you guys."

Byakuya clenched her eyes shut as the words Rin had uttered all those years ago rang in her head. "You'll always be my best buddies." He'd said, his eyes shining with love for his friends. Where was that boy now?

"Ah!" Makoto suddenly exclaimed as something on his mind clicked into place. "Are you the one responsible for Rin showing up at the swim club?" He asked Kou.

"I-I wouldn't say I was the one responsible..." Kou said sheepishly as she recalled that day on the roof. "I was just trying to help out. I happened to overhear your conversation, so I sent him a message. He never replied though..."

"In other words, you were spying on us?" Byakuya said; it was more of a statement than a question.

"Ehe..."

"Anyway, was that why you were at Haru's yesterday, then?" Makoto asked.

"Uh huh. I was hoping he would have some answers."

"Hey!" Nagisa suddenly cried out, running between the teens. "I have a great idea! Let's start a swim club! That way we can see Rin-chan at tournaments!" He said, pink eyes shining with excitement.

"Um, I'm not sure Haru will be on board with that idea..." Makoto said, once again thinking of his friend first instead of himself.

"Well, we won't know until we ask, right? Besides, I'm sure Haru-chan will be fine with it!" Nagisa insisted.

"I'm with Makoto on this one," Byakuya added. "Haru-kun's probably not gonna go along with us this time..."

* * *

"Whatever. Knock yourselves out." Haruka said nonchalantly.

'Well so much for not going along.' Byakuya deadpanned.

"Huh? Really?" Nagisa seemed just as surprised as she was despite how sure he had been about Haru's compliance before. The group of them- minus Kou- stood inside Haruka's bathroom as the boy sat in the bathtub with his swimsuit on, as usual.

"Yay! We're good to go then! I'm so excited!" Nagisa blabbered on, oblivious to Haruka's expression as the blue-eyed boy turned away got lost in thought. Makoto and Byakuya exchanged a worried glance. Something was obviously on Haru's mind, and for once Makoto wasn't quite sure what it was.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Makoto asked as they all sat in the dining room of Haru's house. "We're not gonna be doing this alone; you're expected to join."

"I know." Haruka replied evenly as he dried himself off with a towel, still clad in nothing but his swimming trunks. Everyone seemed casual about it except Kou, who covered her eyes and looked like she was about to faint at any second.

_'No, don't look! Girls my age shouldn't ogle naked men! Must...not...look...'_ She thought to herself fiercely.

"If you were just thinking that girls shouldn't be ogling naked men," Byakuya said to the younger girl- _'Crap! How did she know?'_ " I'd like to inform you that I've been exposed to this boy's naked upper torso since I was 6. So its not all that big a deal."

Though the senior's words hadn't done much to alleviate the embarassment she was feeling- if anything, they had made it worse- Kou turned around slowly and opened her fingers slightly to allow her to get a glimpse of the half-naked boy.

She swooned.

_'What...incredible... triceps!'_ The girl squealed internally, blushing furiously at the sight. You could practically see the metaphorical sparkles she was emitting as she was blown away by the majesty of Haruka's fit figure.

Byakuya had to lean on Nagisa for support as she burst into laughter. The other boys just sweatdropped at the two girls' behaviour. Women were so weird.

That reminded Haruka. Who was this girl again?

"...oh yeah. Haru-chan wasn't with us that day." Nagisa remembered. "This is Rin-chan's sister."

"H-hello," the scarlet-haired girl greeted nervously. "It's been a long time."

"Matsuoka... Kou, right?" Haruka asked in confirmation.

The girl was delighted at having someone remember her name- at least, in the way she wanted them to. "Yes!" She said happily, with a faint blush on her cheeks.

Byakuya smirked to herself. Looked like Kou wasn't immune to Haru's subtle charm either._ 'Good luck with that, girl. I was barking up that tree for 3 years.'_She thought as she surpressed another snort.

"Um, I'd like to apologize about my brother's behaviour yesterday."

"Don't sweat it." Haru said simply as he put on his light blue hoodie. He then proceeded to tie his apron on as he walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, if you're making tea, I have some squid to go with that." Makoto said.

"Huh? Wouldn't chocolate be better?" Nagisa said, confused.

"Trust me Nagi-kun. Don't bother arguing." Byakuya said. She and Makoto had gotten used to Haru's peculiar tastes and need to have seafood with practically everything.

As if to prove her point, Haruka stated, "We'll compromise and have mackerel."

"That's not a compromise!" Nagisa exclaimed as he got up and went into the kitchen as well. "Cmon, I'll give you a hand! Is this okay?"

As the two boys busied themselves in the kitchen, Kou took the time to look around the room. Her eyes fell on a familiar item on the floor at the foot of the tall cupboard to the left.

"Isn't this...?" The girl asked as she reached forth and picked up the picture lying next to the blue trophy.

"Ah," Makoto said, following her gaze. "Yeah, that's the trophy we won as kids. Rin said he didn't need it anymore." He finished sadly.

Kou stared at the picture in her hands. It showed her brother and the other four of the bunch as kids. "Everyone's smiling..." she commented almost wistfully as she looked at her brother's carefree expression.

"Actually, Haru's the sole exception in this photo." Makoto corrected.

"Oh come off it, Mako. We all know Haru-kun secretly wants to start doing a jig." It was at this point that Nagisa returned to the room carrying a tray of tea and knelt beside them.

"Yep!" The blonde added cheerily. "Haru-chan's always smiling on the inside."

"You make him sound like a bad person!" Kou giggled. The others joined in on the laughter. Byakuya quietly stood up and went into the kitchen, the conversation of the past making her feel uncomfortable.

"Isn't that so, Haru-kun? You're just a big ball of sunshine on the inside, ain't cha?" Byakuya said teasingly as she nudged Haruka. The boy simply gave "hmph"ed and looked away, returning his attention to the squid he was grilling.

"What are you doing in here?" Haruka asked simply.

"What? Can't bug my friend for no good reason?"

Haruka just hmm'd again at the girls' response. He didn't quite believe her; she never did anything without a motive. However, she respected his silence, so he would do the same.

"So... this is the first time Rin's come back from to Japan since he left?" Makoto inquired after the laughter died down. Byakuya bristled as they broached the topic that she'd dreaded.

"Huh?" Kou said confusedly. "He came back for New Years' every year!"

The brown-eyed girl froze as she heard this new piece of information.

"Really?" Nagisa exclaimed. "And he never told us? How mean!"

Byakuya noticed as Haruka stiffened slightly at Nagisa's question. She peered over at him curiously; had Nagisa unconsciously struck a nerve? Her eyes narrowed- Haru knew and felt more than he was letting on.

As her gaze flickered off to the side, she caught Makoto looking at Haru as well. It looked like she wasn't the only one who'd sensed Haru's discomfort.

_'Curiouser and curiouser...'_

* * *

"Hello?"

"Nagi-kun? It's Byakuya. Are you free to talk now?"

The dark-haired girl was sitting in the living room of her house, speaking into her cell phone. It had been a couple of hours since the bunch of them had left Haruka's place, and when she had gotten home, something kept nagging at her. Maybe it was the stifling silence of her home that made her think too much, but she had the strongest urge to speak to Nagisa for some reason.

"Oh, Bya-kun! What's up?" Nagisa's cheerful voice greeted from the other end of the line.

Here Byakuya hesitated. What was she doing? She didn't think it through when she dialled Nagisa's number, she just went with the first thing that popped into her mind. So she decided to do just that again.

"How are you feeling?" She blurted out. "And I don't mean the 'oh I'm fine, how bout you?' kind of question, I wanna know how you're really feeling about this while situation. Yknow, with Rin all that. Like, what's been happening the past couple days. Yeah, how are you feeling about that?"

Damn her brain. She just blabbered on about anything and everything when she got nervous; which was how she felt now. She still wasn't sure why she was doing this; just like how she wasn't sure why she'd said what she had to Haru on the train yesterday.

_'Musta been that heart-to-heart I had with Mako. Jeez, I'm getting soft.'_ She thought as she once again rubbed her head anxiously.

There was a long pause on Nagisa's side, and Byakuya panicked slightly. Had she said something wrong? Was he offended? Did he think she had gone crazy? Wha-

"I haven't heard you talk like that in years, Bya-kun." Nagisa suddenly said in a somewhat wistful tone, halting her thoughts immediately.

"What?" She was surprised. What did he mean?

"The way you sound now, all nervous and blubbering like a fish-"

"I do not!" Okay, maybe she did.

"Haha, whatever you say, Bya-kun. But that's not what I was getting at. You actually sound... concerned... " he trailed off.

"What?" She was stumped. This was not where she had planned for this conversation to go- not that she actually had planned anything, but still, this was far from what she had expected.

"Never mind, Bya-kun." Nagisa continued happily and ignored her question. "I'm just glad you asked, I was getting sorta tired not telling anyone! Anyway, how I feel... well, it's sad, you know? Rin-chan isn't the same as he used to be, and he almost seems to hate us for some reason! And not telling us when he came back the past few years... I don't understand, did we do something wrong? I thought we left on pretty good terms... and then there's all those things he said to us..."

Nagisa's voice had gradually grown more solemn as he had continued his statement. Byakuya forgot all about his previous comment; she was more concerned about him now. "Nagi-kun..."

"But that's why we gotta start a swim club, don't you see?" He cut in determinedly. "If we start a swim club, maybe... maybe we can get Rin-chan to realize something and we can be friends again! Maybe we'll even get to swim together once more... It's gotta be worth a shot, it has to be! If it isn't... what else is?"

He sounded more doubtful now than he did when he had suggested the idea the first, probably since he didn't need to play the optimist for everyone else's sake. He was being honest now- he was just as hesitant about this whole thing as they were. He let the hurt he felt at Rin's actions show more evidently in his voice now, and something in Byakuya flared up.

"We have to keep hoping, Nagi-kun." She said fiercely. "We won't know if we don't try, and if this is the only thing we can do, then hell, we're gonna do it! We're gonna knock some sense into Rin's thick skull whether he likes it or not!"

A long silence. Then, suddenly, Nagisa started laughing. Byakuya couldn't help but smile- that sounded more like the Nagisa she knew.

"Thank you, Bya-kun!" He said sincerely after he had managed to stop laughing. "I knew the old you was still in there somewhere."

"Whaddya m-"

"Anyway, I gotta go eat dinner now, my sisters are calling me." Nagisa cut her off enthusiastically. "You should go do the same. See ya, Bya-kun!"

"Wai-"

But he had already hung up.

Byakuya stared at her cell phone for the longest time. She could still hear Nagisa's words echoing in her mind.

"You actually sound... concerned."

Of course she sounded concerned! She cared for the wellbeing of her friends. They knew that, didn't they?

...Didn't they?

"I knew the old you was still in there somewhere!"

That sounded suspiciously like what she believed for Rin- was she like him? Had she changed, just like he had? She hoped not, but why else would Nagisa had said that if she hadn't? What confused her the most was she couldn't figure out when in the world she had-

A memory clicked into place. The talk she had had with Makoto.

"All I did was run away. I still am, and I hate myself for it. But I just can't stop."

That was what Nagisa had meant; that was what had changed. She was running away. She had shirked her responsibilities, ignored the seriousness of the situations at hand... she'd given up back then. And she had carried that attitude all the way up until now.

The best part was that she hadn't even noticed.

She suddenly laughed bitterly and gazed up at the glass cabinet that sat against the wall on the opposite side of the hall. Inside the cabinet sat several trophies and medals won by her mother and brother in swimming competitions; Byakuya had a few of her own in there as well. She stared at one medal in particular- one that sat in a special box of its own and was made of solid gold.

Her mother's Olympic medal.

"Mom... just how far did I run?" She asked desperately.

She didn't get an answer. Not that she was expecting one in the first place.

* * *

AN: Yeah I sorta used a line from Alice in Wonderland here. And made a small reference to 50%Off (If you don't know what that is, go YouTube it. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.) Just to clarify that. Also, gotta love Kou and her reactions to hot men. So relatable. I hope the conversation with Nagisa wasn't too OOC, I know he's a huge ball of sunshine, but I figure he's gotta have his down moments as well. I suppose ya'll can see where Byakuya's character growth is going now- I think I made it sorta obvious at this point. I hope I'm able to make it realistic.  
Reviews are much appreciated! Thanks for reading, see ya'll next time!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

"Since everyone's on board; I decided to pick up a new club application form!" Nagisa said cheerily, brandishing the piece of paper he was talking about. The usual bunch of them were sitting on the roof again for lunch that day, and they had been discussing the idea of the swimming club that had been presented the previous day.

"You move fast." Makoto commented, somewhat impressed at the boy's efficiency.

"It's important to get the ball rolling!" Nagisa justified. He wanted to get things started now when everyone was still enthusiastic about the idea. "Let's see... the purpose of this club is... to train our minds and bodies through swimming and to improve the school experience!"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. Nagisa really was a smart lad, despite what his innocent looks suggested. She never would've thought up such an intelligent sentence- her mind only worked that well when she really wanted to.

The thought solemned her up immediately as she recalled the conversation from yesterday and she quietly started on her lunch.

"And you know what you're doing." Makoto added, with admiration in his tone.

"There will be four members initially," Nagisa continued, puffing up slightly with a hint of pride at his friend's indirect praise. "Mako-chan, you can be the captain."

"Shouldn't it be Haru?" Makoto said hesitatingly. "He's the fastest swimmer."

"This isn't about speed," Nagisa explained. "Different people are better at different things.

"Nagi-kun has a point." Byakuya agreed through a bite of her sandwich. "I mean, can you imagine 'Good-guy Captain Haruka'?"

The three of them glanced at Haru, trying to picture him as the enthusiastic leader type.

...

It was a pretty terrifying image.

"...Yeah. I don't think so." Makoto said, sweatdropping.

"I know what's coming to haunt me in my nightmares tonight." Byakuya shuddered.

"So it's settled then! Mako-chan will be the captain, and Haru-chan can be the vice-captain!" Nagisa concluded, seemingly unaffected by the mental image of Captain Haruka like the other two were. "

"Hey, don't just volunteer me." Haruka said, slightly annoyed as he put down his bento.

"Now now now," Nagisa said. "Vice-captain is just an empty position with no actual responsibilities, do don't worry."

Byakuya snorted while Makoto deadpanned. "You just offended every vice-captain on this planet."

Nagisa just laughed sheepishly and continued. "Moving on...I'll be the treasurer, Bya-kun can be the secretary... all we need now is a faculty advisor!"

"Any ideas?" Makoto asked, crossing his arms.

"If it's gonna be Mr Hasegawa I am out." Byakuya added quickly. She swore that man hated her guts- probably because she'd nearly failed every History exam he'd ever given her.

"No, not him." Nagisa mused out loud. "I was thinking maybe we could ask Ama-chan."

"Miss Ama-chan?" Makoto inquired. Why would Nagisa suggest her?

"I heard a crazy story from one of my classmates..." Nagisa confided.

"There are loads of those, Nagi-kun. Some are actually saying that the lady's a 60 year old tranny. You can't believe any rumours you hear in this school." Byakuya stated.

"What's a tranny?" Nagisa asked.

They all deadpanned. "Never mind that," Makoto cut in quickly. "Let's hear what they had to say."

"Alright?" Nagisa said, somewhat confused at his friends' reactions. "Well, you see..."

* * *

"Eh?" Miss Amakata exclaimed. She was in the faculty office, and was a little stunned at the request the students standing in front of her were asking for.

"I can't do it." Miss Amakata declined politely. "Sports aren't my thing; I mean, I teach Classical Literature."

"But I heard that until last year, you had a job in Tokyo that involved swimsuits." Nagisa said curiously.

The teacher was startled and immediately shot up, leaning closer to the blonde. "Don't say that so loudly! Who told you that?!" She whispered urgently.

'Real smooth, Nagi-kun.' Byakuya thought to herself, restraining the smirk that threatened to show. The boy probably had no idea that what he'd said would have elicited such a reaction from the woman.

Or did he?

"It was Nashimoto-kun, from my class." The pink-eyed boy said innocently.

"Did you work for a swimsuit designer?" Makoto inquired.

"W-what?" Miss Amakata stuttered out. "Uhm, yes, I suppose you could say that..."

Byakuya tilted her head curiously. What was it that had made the teacher so nervous?

"In that case," Makoto said enthusiastically. "We would be thrilled if you could advise us on the technology that goes into competitive swimwear!"

"Advise us!" Nagisa added insistingly.

"Please!" The two boys said as they bowed in unison.

The poor teacher looked terrified at all the pressure she was receiving, and Byakuya felt a little sorry for her as she stood by the sidelines with Haru. Nagisa especially could be very determined when it came to getting people to comply with his wishes, and it was obvious that Miss Amakata's resolve was crumbling.

"...if you really need me..." she finally complied, albeit grudgingly.

"Thank you very much!" The boys said happily. Byakuya couldn't help but smile. Really, these guys...

Haruka just winced at Nagisa's loud cheer, silent as always.

* * *

Kou Matsuoka stood at the entrance counter of Samezuka Academy. She had rushed here as soon as the last bell of school had rung and was determined to see Rin. She wasn't sure how much more she could take from being ignored by her big brother and had decided to take a more drastic measure.

"I'm Rin Matsuoka's sister." She said to the man handling the counter. "I'm here to see my brother."

The man put hs newspaper down briefly to look at a file on his desk. "Ah, I'm afraid Matsuoka-kun isn't back yet."

"Really..." Kou wanted to hit something. It was like the world was against her and was determined to keep her away from Rin somehow. It was absolutely frustrating! Why couldn't she just see her big brother...?

No. She couldn't give up yet. There had to be someone... someone who knew what was going on, even if just a little bit. She had to try.

"Um, excuse me," she said to the man at the counter once again. "Would it be okay if I could just take a look around the school? I'd like to search a little more for my brother."

The man seemed a bit apprehensive at first- probably offended that she didn't believe him or something along those lines- but eventually complied.

"Very well. Please carry this visitor's pass around as you do."

"Thank you!" Kou said as she took the pass from the man and went on her way.

Somehow, she was going to get some answers. There was no way she was leaving until she did.

* * *

The scarlet-haired girl stepped through the doors leading to the entrance of the swimming pool of Samezuka. She was standing in a hallway with glass windows lining the walls that offered a view of the indoor pool. The girl figured that she'd start here first- if there was anyone who knew anything about Rin, it would probably be his swimming partners.

"Excuse me..." she started to ask, but stopped short as she got a better view of the pool. Or rather, the people currently using it.

'Incredible!' She squealed internally. 'Truly a prestigious school's swimming club! Traps and pecs everywhere! Totally gorgeous!' Kou barely restrained her swooning as she stared shamelessly at the large group of young men performing stretches and swimming in the pool, all clothed in nothing but their swimming trunks. She could practically hear the angel voices and heavenly harps playing as she ogled all the fit figures.

She sort of envied Byakuya if this was the kind of sight the girl had gotten to behold for so many years now.

"Hey, so it's you?" A male voice interrupted, snapping Kou out of her fantasizing.

A tall boy with golden eyes and hair an even brighter shade of red than hers had walked up to her and asked the question. He looked to be about two years older than her, and was wearing Samezuka Academy's regular black jacket and pants.

"Eh?" Kou asked. She hadn't quite caught the question- she'd been more than a little distracted by all the half-naked men.

"The one looking for her big brother?" The boy inquired again.

"O-oh, yes." She stuttered out. She was somewhat embarassed and silently hoped that the boy hadn't noticed her ogling.

"Hold on a second..." the boy suddenly said, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You know..." he suddenly blushed. "You're kinda cute."

Kou was taken aback slightly at the sudden statement, but then giggled sheepishly and gave the older boy a small smile. She was quite an attractive young girl, and comments like those came by rather often, so she wasn't too flustered. It also helped her confidence somewhat since her boyish name made her feel rather uncomfortable.

"Thank you." She said, sincerely. "I'm looking for Rin Matsuoka, my brother."

"Matsuoka?" The redheaded boy asked confusedly. "There's no one named Matsuoka on the swim team."

"...Huh?"

* * *

Inside the halls of the old Iwatobi Swim Club, the lone figure of Rin Matsuoka wandered the halls. It was pretty late into the afternoon, and the boy was walking towards a particular location in the rundown building. He hadn't gotten to retrieve the other item he had wanted earlier that week since he'd run into Haru and the gang, so the redheaded boy decided to make the trip again now to make up for it.

As he turned into the former lounge of the swim club, he stopped short. Standing in front of the wall of photos was one of the people he least desired to see at that moment.

"What are you doing here?" He growled out. Byakuya simply shot him a glance over her shoulder and returned her attention to the wall. She was still clad in her school uniform- she must have been here for a while.

"I could ask you the same thing, Rin-kun. " the girl respondedpassively. She supposed she should have felt angry or upset at the boy, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to. Nagisa's words from yesterday kept haunting her- it was driving her insane- and it was the whole reason she was here, in the place she had at first dreaded so much to go to. She was too tired to muster up the energy to get mad at Rin.

Plus, what Nagisa had said had made her rethink some of the dark thoughts she'd held towards her old friend. Was Rin like her? Could it be... he was running away as well?

"Tch. Whatever." Rin scoffed as he sauntered up to the wall. He had been hoping for some time alone, and he was pretty miffed that he wouldn't be getting it now, but decided that he'd simply ignore Byakuya's presence. He stopped right in front of the picture he had come for, and just stared at it for the longest time.

Four boys stood in the photo, all wearing medals and holding up a trophy. Not much different from the picture that he himself had taken with his own friends. Both pictures meant equally as much to Rin.

The maroon-eyed boy just stood there, a million thoughts running through his head. He was lost. So very, very lost.

'Dad... what am I supposed to do now?'

He felt his eyes tear up ever so slightly and clenched them shut immediately. No. He wouldn't let the tears overcome him. Not in front of someone else. Not while he was alone. Not ever. Tears were a sign of weakness, and Rin Matsuoka was not- could not be- weak.

He reached out and took the picture from the wall and just held it in his hands, looking at it with a blank expression on his face. He pocketed the photo and turned to leave, but just as he was halfway out the door, he stopped. Byakuya still hadn't moved.

Rin glanced back at the girl. He remembered how she'd looked that day at Samezuka. She had seemed ready to murder him back then, but now... she didn't even bother. It was the perfect oppurtunity for her to rant at him- deep down, he had hoped she would have, just to take his mind of the torturous thoughts running through his head- but she didn't. She looked utterly emotionless- it was a look he hadn't seen on Byakuya's face in a long time.

He considered calling out to her, but stopped himself and shook his head fiercely. She wasn't any of his concern; not anymore. None of them were. They weren't the same friends that they used to be; they had changed- grown up. He couldn't afford to have anyone holding him back.

With that conclusive thought in mind, Rin left the lounge, leaving the black-haired girl by herself in the empty room, the light gradually fading away with the arrival of night.

* * *

AN: Not quite so much OC POV this round, pretty short chappy too. Such a depressing ending the past two chapters have had. I know it might be sorta strange to have Byakuya start out somewhat happier in the beginning and darker in the ending, but I'm hoping that it shows her somewhat indefinite emotional and mental state at this point. Also, fun fact: Back when I was getting the idea for this fic, I had originally planned to make it a Rin/OC. I still don't quite know how that plan changed, haha!

Shout out to pokemondemon369 for favouriting this fic! Thanks so much, I hope to be able to live up to your expectations!

Please review, guys! I really would like to know what you all think; suggestions, constructive criticism, anything! I would like to be able to improve the fic with your help! Thanks for reading, see you guys next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

"Now, in regard to the swim club charter you submitted..."

Byakuya suddenly yawned loudly. She blinked blearily and apologized for cutting the teacher off when everyone, even Haru, gave her a look. She stood with her friends in front of Miss Amakata's desk; the teacher had summoned them after school to discuss the issue of their request to make a swim club. She was just as eager as everyone else to know if it had been approved, but she was ridiculously sleepy since she had arrived home late last night. She had barely been able to make it through her classes without falling asleep.

'I really need to get over this philosophical phase soon.' She groaned internally. The mental exhaustion was so not worth it. It had been 4 days since the encounter she had with Rin at the swim club, and she still hadn't told anyone about it- not that there was much to tell. Plus, she really didn't want anyone to know she had been venturing back to the old swim club nearly every day since then. For some reason, being at the rundown building where she'd once spent so many years of her childhood helped her to think more clearly in solitude, which was what she really needed at this point.

Makoto would probably lecture her for going there by herself if he found out. And he'd either insist on going with her the next time or stop her from going there altogether; neither of which she could really afford right now. With each time she went back to the abandoned swim club to clear her head, she had finally been able to- albeit slowly- come to terms with her thoughts. As guilty as it made her feel to hide it from her friends, this was something she felt she had to do by herself for once.

"As I was saying," Miss Amakata continued, somewhat annoyed at being cut off in the middle of her suspenseful statement. "After strict review by the faculty... " a dramatic pause. They all held their breath.

"... it was approved!" The teacher said exuberantly, turning the request papers around to show them the huge stamp of approval.

"Really?" Makoto exclaimed happily.

"That's great! Can I go home now?" Byakuya said immediately, earning herself another reproachful look from everyone. "...Just kidding." Not really.

"Anyway, that's awesome! I knew we could count on a former swimwear company employee!" Nagisa enthused.

"Th-that's right." Miss Amakata said. She seemed a little discomforted at Nagisa's mention of her previous occupation, but she was rather proud of herself at her students' awe. "This is what I can do when I put my mind to it! However, a school organization is required to have 5 members, so you'll have to find one more person."

Here, Miss Amakata paused a bit, lifting the registration papers to cover the lower half of her face in a gesture of hesitation. "Also... there's one more condition..."

Byakuya felt her heart plummet at the way the teacher had put forth that statement._ 'Oh no. No no no no this can't be good. Say no, guys, say no say no say-"_

"No problem! I'm willing to do anything!" Nagisa proclaimed determinedly.

'_...Shit.'_

* * *

Overgrown grass. Weeds sprouting from the walls and floor. Abandoned pieces of scrap on the ground. Dirt was everywhere. What had once been a swimming pool was now a dump and possibly a breeding ground for pests.

And they had to pretty it up.

Byakuya inhaled deeply. She wanted to turn around and run for the hills, but she maintained her resolve. _'Remember what you have to do.'_ She thought fiercely to herself. _'It's time to suck it up and take the responsibility for once in your damn life.'_

Even if it meant doing what she hated the most. Work.

"Wow, so much nature." Nagisa commented idly.

"Are you saying that..." Makoto asked

"Yes. You have to restore this pool to a usable state."

Next to Byakuya, Makoto and Haruka slowly backed away.

But then the demons of hell pounced.

And by demons she meant Nagisa and Miss Amakata- not that there was much of a difference. They clamped their hands around the wrists of the the two who were trying to escape without even turning around.

"You're not allowed to run away." Nagisa said sweetly as he faced his friends with a closed-eyed smile.

"You said you'd do anything." Miss Amakata with a similar tone and facial expression.

The two boys gulped. Byakuya hid her smile with the back of her hand. At least she wouldn't be suffering alone.

* * *

"I can't pull this one out!" Byakuya cried. They had been weeding the floor of the empty pool, and she had been yanking at a particularly stubborn weed which was refusing to budge.

"Here, lemme give you a hand." Makoto offered, pulling at the plant Byakuya had been working on. He pulled again. And again.

The thing wasn't even loosening.

"What's up with you guys?" Nagisa asked as he and Haru walked up to where the two of them were.

"This one won't come out, not even Mako could do it." Byakuya huffed.

"Really? Let me try." Nagisa said as he knelt down in front of the weed.

"Oh come on, Nagi-kun, there's no way you can-"

But the boy just grabbed the stalk and, with a simple flick of his wrist, yanked the whole thing out, roots and all.

"That wasn't so hard!" The blonde said cheerily as he casually threw the plant into the accumulating pile and walked away to continue weeding.

The others sweatdropped and silently swore that they would never piss Nagisa off. Ever.

* * *

"We're probably gonna need to use some pesticide. There sure are a lot of bugs hanging around here." Makoto commented as he waved away the small swarm of dustflies that flew up as he swept all the litter into a pile.

Haruka nodded in agreement. The insects were starting to get to him too.

"Well, it could be worse." Nagisa said. "The bugs we've seen so far are pretty small and harmless, at least we haven't seen any-"

"SON OF A FUCKING-"

"...major pests." Nagisa finished awkwardly as they all watched Byakuya sprint away at top speed, spouting a long string of colourful words when a rat came scuttling out from under the leaves.

They all sweatdropped.

* * *

"Ahhh, finally." Byakuya said, stretching. They had finally finished clearing the weeds and overgrown plants in the area, and were all sweaty and covered in grime and dust from all the time they had spent under the sun. She felt gross, icky and she was sure she smelled terrible. They had been going at this for days, and she couldn't wait to get a break that weekend.

"Hey, guys, come over here a sec?" Makoto called. They all did as he asked and he pointed at the large cracks lining the walls of the pool. "We're gonna need to patch this up."

"How are we gonna go about doing that?" Nagisa inquired.

"Well... Makoto thought about it for a moment. "We're probably gonna need some cement, and a trowel, among other things..."

Byakuya wanted to die. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep forever, but she couldn't push this aside until later. The swim club couldn't afford to. This needed to be done as soon as possible, whether she liked it or not.

_'And actually... all this work isn't too bad when I've got the others around. Sorta fun actually."_

...

Nah. That was just the exhaustion talking.

* * *

"It's a little out of bounds, but this place is really convenient! It sells practically everything all in one place, and the prices are really cheap too!" Nagisa said enthusiastically as he and his gang sat in Miss Amakata's car. It was the day after the pool weeding, and the teacher had agreed to send them to the huge Dolphins supermarket outside of town to get the supplies they needed that day. She really was a nice lady, always willing to help out her students whenever they needed it.

"Oh yeah, my dad brought the twins shopping there once." Makoto said from his seat between Haru and Byakuya. "He spent hours there, though he only needed to use about 1 to complete the shopping. The rest of the time he was trying to find Ren and Ran when they ran off. It's a pretty huge place."

"I hope you kids brought a list with you, then." Miss Amakata said, shooting a glance the three teens seated in the back through her mirror. "It would be quite difficult if you all were to just wander in mindlessly."

"Byaku-chan's got it, ri-"

But before he finished the question, a slight "ahem" from Haru made him turn around. Byakuya was out like a light in her seat; she was even snoring a little.

"Wow, she's out cold." Miss Amakata commented.

"Bya-kun has been pretty tired since yesterday." Nagisa commented thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but she's acting a little different too..." Makoto said, glancing back at the dark-haired girl. He'd noticed that she'd had a slight change in attitude- she hadn't complained about the amount of work they were doing; despite how tired she was, and she had shown more dedication than she'd had in... well, years.

Makoto smiled gently. After all these years, it looked like Byakuya was finally starting to carry on.

* * *

"Why would we need a hammer, Nagi-kun?" Byakuya deadpanned.

"Well, maybe... we might need to hammer some nails in and stuff!" The boy justified weakly.

"In a pool?" Makoto reasoned.

"... aww, fine." The boy pouted and put the hammer back on the shelf. They had arrived at Dolphins a couple of minutes ago, and were looking through the hardware department for the tools they needed. Unfortunately, even though they had a list to go by, Nagisa was pretty intent on buying out the whole store.

"Really, Nagi-kun, just cuz this place sells everything at low prices doesn't mean we have to buy one of everything." Byakuya commented as she pushed the cart full of items that they needed down the aisle, looking for the other things they needed.

"I didn't say we had to buy one of everything! I just thought we'd need some more stuff, just in case, y'know?"

"You've suggested buying a hammer, a golf club, a frying pan and a garden gnome, Nagisa." Makoto added.

"The garden gnome would have been cute!"

"It was a hideous pink, Nagi-kun."

"The pink wasn't hideous!"

"Wait... where's Haru?" Makoto suddenly said as he realized his best friend had disappeared.

"Huh? When did Haru-chan le-"

But Nagisa was cut off by the sound of Makoto yelling and dashing towards the other end of the aisle, where the aquariums and fish care supplies were.

It was also where Haruka was stripping down to his swimming trunks.

"HARU! NOT HERE!" Makoto exclaimed as he restrained his friend from entering the large aquarium before him.

"Haru-chan! We can't let people see you half-naked in public!" Nagisa added as he too grabbed Haruka's arm and held him back.

"Uh, guys...!" Byakuya said urgently. "There's a security guard coming around the corner..."

"Crap! Hide!" Makoto said as the three of them pulled Haruka away to hide behind another aisle.

* * *

"Can the four of you please explain why I had to come in and get security to release you?" Miss Amakata said in a dangerously sweet voice.

"... We're sorry." The four teens bowed as they apologized. This was really not how they had planned their shopping trip to turn out.

Well, at least they got their supplies.

* * *

"Here it is! My masterpiece!" Nagisa proclaimed as he held up his drawing.

At least, Byakuya assumed it was a drawing. It was difficult to tell- it looked more like a rainbow had been murdered viciously on a piece of paper and this was the result. They were sharing the art room with the students of the art club today, trying to create a recruitment poster for their own club. However, it wasn't exactly going too well...

_'That thing could possibly be scarier than Good-guy Captain Haruka.'_ Byakuya shuddered. She wasn't exactly an artist herself, but still...

"Eheh. It's, um... very abstract, Nagisa." Makoto said nervously. "But I think it might a little... too complicated for the other students to understand?"

Really, that boy tried so hard to be nice.

"Let's see yours then, Haru-kun." Byakuya said quickly, trying to switch topics. The addressed boy simply looked up casually and lifted his sheet for them to see.

"Holy shit..." Byakuya murmured as she saw what Haruka had created. It depicted a scenery of a cliff by the sea at sunset, where a man was being reached out to by several cherubs. Above the illustration were the words "Join us and Swim, Iwatobi Swim Club." It was absolutely marvellous.

Several loud squeals could be heard from behind them. The four teens turned around to behold the members of the art club swooning at the beauty of Haruka's artwork. They looked like they had just witnessed a miracle being performed in front of them- which wasn't too far off the mark.

...

Nagisa, Makoto and Byakuya spent the rest of their time trying to get Haruka out of the clingy grabby hands of the vultures more commonly known as the members of the art club.

* * *

"Bya-kun?"

"Hm?"

"What's up with you recently?" Nagisa asked. He and Byakuya were trimming the overgrown plants that had grown into the fenced compound while the other two were handling the repainting of the pool. It had been a rather productive two weeks; they had finished patching up most of the pool and were now down to the finishing touches.

Byakuya sighed. "Did those guys put you up to this?" She asked back, gesturing to Makoto and Haruka.

"Well, not really, I just thought I'd ask... but they were wondering too." Nagisa admitted sheepishly. "You've been a little different, Bya-kun."

The girl sighed again and stopped trimming the overgrown stems. She quietly contemplated her words for a while before she answered.

"I... I did quite a lot of thinking about what you said that day, Nagi-kun." She started slowly. "And you were right. I'd changed; and I barely even noticed. It scared me into realizing that... I can't run from my troubles anymore. Everything is changing, we're all growing up, and if I can't face my responsibilities and problems head on... I'll fall. And I don't want to bring anyone else down with me if I do. You guys are my family, but I rely on you all far too much to keep me upright. I don't want any of you to be hurt or held back because of my incapabilities. So... the least I can try to do now is change, to make myself care again. And if it'll help in bringing Rin back too, then that's even better!"

Nagisa had fallen silent at Byakuya's short speech and stared at the girl, mouth slightly agape.

"You still think of us as your family, Bya-kun?" He said disbelievingly.

"Of course! You guys have been with me practically my whole life; what else would I think of you guys as?" She said incredulously.

Nagisa's face broke into a sunny smile at that. Before Byakuya could blink, Nagisa had her in an enthusiastic hug.

"I knew it! I knew you'd go back to normal, Bya-kun! I knew it!" He cheered.

"Nagi-kun...C-can't... breathe..." she wheezed out.

"Oops! Sorry, Bya-kun!" The boy laughed as he released the girl, who gasped for air.

"Y-you... you really are a lot stronger than you look, ain't cha?" She said, a small smile on her face.

"It's all in the knees, Bya-kun."

She laughed. "How is that even relevant?"

As the two of them conversed and casually resumed their job, they didn't notice their two other friends watching them from the pool.

"Looks like Nagisa's sorted it out." Makoto said, smiling softly. "I haven't heard Byaku-chan laugh in a while now."

Haruka glanced at his taller companion. Makoto looked relieved, happy... and a bit of something else.

"Makoto?" Haruka asked slowly.

The taller boy blinked and looked back at his friend. "Hm? What is it, Haru?"

The raven-haired boy just gave his friend a knowing look. Makoto sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's... it's a little complicated." Makoto said, answering Haru's unpsoken question. "I'm just a bit... discomforted that she told Nagisa instead of one of us. Yknow, since we've known her longer and all. Though, I suppose we should have tried asking her firsthand as well..."

Haruka raised a brow. There was more to it.

Makoto just chuckled nervously at the look Haru gave him. Just as Makoto could read Haruka, it worked vice versa as well.

"Okay, so... maybe I'm a bit upset. I'm not mad though! It's just... I feel a little... uncomfortable, sort of. Well, not uncomfortable, per se, more like, uhm..."

"You're jealous." Haruka said simply and resumed painting.

"W-what?" Makoto exclaimed, startled. "I-I'm not jealous!"

Haruka didn't say anything, but shot his friend another glance. Makoto's reaction pretty much confirmed his suspicions.

"...okay, fine. Maybe a little. But only because she didn't tell one of us instead!" Makoto said quickly.

"If I had hugged her, you'd still be jealous." Haruka stated simply.

"It wasn't because of the hug!"

Haruka shrugged and relented. His best friend was in denial, but he knew better.

Really, teenagers could be so peculiar.

* * *

AN: So here begins Byakuya's character growth! She's got her goals in mind, but I hope I'll be able to write her slow maturation process believably. Also, yay, somewhat jealous Mako! I figure that's about as jealous as the guy can get, really. I think he'd be too nice to be clingy type or to show it, but that wouldn't stop him from feeling a little miffed when someone gets too comfortable with the person he likes. Was it believeable? Or do you guys think he'd react in another way? Do let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading this chapter! See you guys next water time!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

Byakuya hummed to herself as she walked into the compound of the pool. It was recess now, and while most students would be having lunch, she had decided to go and work on cleaning up the place. It was nearly complete- she couldn't wait to get it over with and finally get some rest. She had to admit; it was also rather rewarding to see the results of the hard work she and her friends had done.

She still hated manual labour, but it wasn't too bad when she had the motivation to do it.

As she towed along the push broom she had brought with her, she paused at the edge of the pool. Apparently someone had beaten her there.

"Haru-kun. Skipped out on lunch too, huh?" She said idly as she shrugged off her outer uniform jacket and placed it aside. The raven-haired boy who was already scrubbing the pool floor simply grunted in acknowledgement. Typical.

"Just a little more to go, then we can fill this baby up with water and get started on the actual swimming. Well, once it's warm enough to, at least." Byakuya continued as she hopped into the pool and joined Haruka in cleaning up.

"I guess the wait must be agonizing for you, eh? You've been pretty pumped up about this." She said, making light conversation as she scrubbed. It was true; the Nanase boy had definitely surprised Byakuya with the amount of dedication he was showing. Haruka barely responded to the comment, but she didn't mind. It was the norm.

They fell into silence after that as they worked on clearing the grime of the floor. Byakuya was humming to herself again as she worked, comfortable with the quiet atmosphere.

"I like the change." Haruka said suddenly.

"Huh?" Byakuya paused in surprised She wasn't expecting Haruka to break their normal routine of silence- normally she was the one who did that. Haruka rarely ever inititated one-on-one conversations with people other than Makoto.

"Your attitude. It's good." He said curtly.

Byakuya blinked. She took a moment to process his words, and when she did her face broke out into a smile.

"Thanks, Haru-kun. I like having the old you back as well." She said sincerely. The boy simply looked away and resumed his scrubbing, feeling slightly embarassed at the comment. She chuckled at his response and returned to her work as well.

If Byakuya was younger, she would have been over the moon at Haru's compliment. She'd had it pretty bad for the boy back then; getting extremely awkward around him when they were alone for even a short while, blushing when he looked at her... she wanted to hit herself for the way she'd acted back then. If she was gonna get all girly and shy whenever she liked someone, she hoped she'd never find a boyfriend- just imagine how out of character she would be.

She snorted to herself and earned a strange glance from Haruka. Really, the thought of her getting all demure and sweet with another guy was hilarious. Really, if she had to go out with someone, it would be someone she could was comfortable with- someone she could be herself around. Someone like...

She blushed furiously when the image of Makoto came into her mind. She shook her head violently to clear the thought, earning yet another perplexed glance from Haru.

"I - it's nothing, Haru-kun. Just, um, a headache, that's all. Ehe..."

Haruka just gave her a look that clearly said he didn't believe her story one bit, but didn't pursue the topic and returned his attention to his job. She sighed internally in relief. The last thing she needed was Haruka finding out she was having ideas about his best friend.

Not that she liked Makoto. Nope. She didn't. Not like that. Not at all.

* * *

"Isn't this fun?" Makoto said as they continued with the paint job of the pool. "It feels like we're back in grade school!"

"Grade schoolers wouldn't be asked to fix a pool." Haruka said simply.

Makoto glanced at his friend, albeit startled at his response, but slowly smiled. He didn't show it, but Mako could tell that Haru was pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing.

"True." He responded.

"Instead, they're asked to scrub out the toilets for beating up a bully who was harassing someone first. Yeah, that's a lot more fair." Byakuya grumbled. Makoto just laughed at the memory. He was normally against the use of violence, but he had to admit that the bully from grade school had had it coming.

"It cleaned up rather nicely!" Miss Amakata praised as she observed her students tidying up the once rundown pool.

"Can't you get out of that chair and lend us a hand?" Nagisa cried. Their teacher had also been sitting in a very comfortable lounge chair with a very convenient umbrella to provide shade from the sweltering sun.

"Heh. So you finally feel the unfairness of it all, eh? Mr 'I'll-Do-Anything'?" Byakuya said, smirking.

Mr 'I'll-Do-Anything' conveniently placed his foot over her own. Hard. He really needed to stop doing that; she'd be crippled by the end of the year if this kept going on.

"Do you realize what you're saying?" Miss Amakata said indignantly. "The UV rays during this time of the year are brutal. You're still young , so it's not an issue."

"So you're saying you're old then, Miss Ama-chan?" Nagisa asked innocently.

"...You better start running, Nagi-kun." Byakuya said as an ominous cloud passed over Miss Amakata's face.

"Ehehe... I was just kidding, Miss Ama-chan... please don't kill me." Nagisa peeped out the last part.

Thankfully, Kou appeared just then, possibly saving Nagisa from a painful death.

"Oh, it's all cleaned up!" She commented.

"Ah, Gou-chan!" Nagisa called out, ever grateful for the girl's unintentional intervention. "Are you here to help us out?"

"I told you to call me Kou!" The girl shouted back. "Otherwise, you can't get any of this!" The girl brandished a plastic bag full of food that she had bought for the group's break.

"What? You can't be serious!" Nagisa whined.

Everyone just laughed, much to the blonde-haired boy's chagrin.

* * *

In the light of the setting sun, Rin Matsuoka sat on the bed of his shared dorm room, staring at the photo he had recovered from the swim club. The redheaded boy was alone in his room, since his roommate had gone to swimming practice.

The thought of swimming practice sent another sharp pang through Rin's head. He grit his teeth and sat up straighter, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't know what to think. He thought he would have sorted things out after that race with Haru, but... the result had only made him even more frustrated.

He sighed heavily and lifted his head back up to look at the picture in his hands again. He stared at the grinning boy in the centre of the photo, and _couldn't_ help but mentally compare the boy here to the picture of his younger self. The same grin, the same sharp features...

Rin let his head fall back against the wall. He knew what he had to do- he had to continue with the path he had set for himself. He would beat Haruka and prove his worth. He would be the best swimmer. He _was_ the best.

Because if he wasn't... what was he?

* * *

"Hey there!" Nagisa exclaimed enthusiastically. "Interested in joining the swim club?"

"I've already decided to join the track team." The blue-haired boy Nagisa had addressed responded as he pushed up his glasses.

"Ah, okay then, thanks for your time." Byakuya said politely. The boy nodded curtly and walked away.

"Awww, loads of students have already joined other clubs! How are we supposed to get more members this late into the year?" Nagisa complained. The two of them had been trying to recruit students into the swim club- well, Nagisa was, at least; Byakuya just thanked people when they declined. It wasn't working out too well so far.

"Well, there has to be at least one student who has hasn't joined a club." Byakuya said optimistically. "We just need to keep trying..."

"I know! We have to get them more interested somehow!" Nagisa cried as he grabbed Byakuya by the shoulders. "We have to catch their attention!"

"...I'm not gonna like this, am I?" Byakuya asked.

* * *

"Hey guys! Let's have fun swimming together!" Nagisa exclaimed as he brandished a kickboard with a penguin design. He was wearing a swim cap and goggles as he exuberantly promoted the club.

Next to him, Byakuya was stuck in the same accessories and holding a kickboard of her own. She wasn't quite as enthusiastic as Nagisa- not at all, actually. She just stood behind him feeling stupid.

"Why would you want to swim in the pool when the ocean's right over there?" One of the students Nagisa was speaking to asked, in an almost condescending tone. Byakuya- already annoyed at the negative responses they had received from everyone as well as looking ridiculous- turned to the boy who had asked the question and smiled eerily. He had asked the question, and he would get an an answer all right.

"We could. But for one, the currents of the ocean in certain regions could drag you out to sea or smash you against the rocks, resulting in a very painful death." Byakuya stated simply. "Then there's the issue of dangerous sea creatures, such as jellyfish, sharks and poisonous shellfish that could kill you within seconds. And then there's-"

But Nagisa slapped his hand around Byakuya to stop her tirade. He laughed sheepishly as the two boys they had been trying to recruit paled significantly and looked more than a little apprehensive now.

"U-um... we gotta head to class now..." the first kid started.

"Yeah! We, uh, we gotta finish an assignment!" The other said as he and his friend sprinted down the hallway.

"Bya-kun!" Nagisa whined. "What were you thinking?!"

"What? They asked." She responded.

Nagisa sighed. This was going to be a lot tougher than he thought.

* * *

"If you join now, you'll get a year's supply of Iwatobi's mascot character; Iwatobi-chan!" Nagisa said as he held up a small wooden doll of the school mascot, which was a bird with a brown head and yellow body. It also wore a blue speedo.

In Byakuya's opinion, that thing was downright freaky. Right up there with Captain Haruka and Nagisa's monstrous poster.

"No thanks." The students milling around the hallway responded.

"Told you no one would want that scary thing." Byakuya deadpanned.

* * *

"No luck!" Nagisa groaned as he fell back onto the bench in the old changing room. Haru and Mako were there as well. "Nobody wants to join! They've either joined another club already or were scared away by Bya-kun!"

"That kid was asking for it. Trying to be a smartass." Byakuya grumbled. "And you were the one handing out a year's worth of creepy dolls."

"They weren't creepy! They're cute!"

"You and I have need to have a long talk on the definition of 'cute'."

Makoto sighed. "It's starting to look like we fixed the pool for nothing." He said despondently.

"Don't say that!" Nagisa said, shooting up from his position. He couldn't let his friends get discouraged now; not when they'd already done so much.

"Whatcha doing there, Haru-kun?" Byakuya asked curiously, diverting from the topic as she peered over the boy's shoulder. Makoto and Nagisa looked over as well.

Haruka was expertly carving out a wooden doll of Iwatobi-chan; the guy was really good with arts and crafts. Byakuya felt slightly perturbed by the amount of dedication Haruka was putting into the whole swim club ordeal. The others had commented on her change of attitude, but in her opinion, Haru had changed just as much. His change was even more surprising than hers, actually.

No wonder Nagisa had approached her about it. She was practically dying to know what was going on in Haru's head right now.

"It's time to use our last resort!" Nagisa suddenly declared, pumped up by Haruka's dedication. "We have Miss Ama-chan and Bya-kun give the shirts off their backs for us!"

"How so?" Makoto inquired.

"I'm not liking the way you put that, Nagi-kun." Byakuya said cautiously.

"We advertise the fact that Miss Ama-chan is our advisor and that Bya-kun is in the club... and tell everyone they'll get to see them in swimsuits if they join!" Nagisa proclaimed.

He received a well-aimed shoe to the face from a very red-faced Byakuya.

"I see. That's really giving up their shirts for us." Makoto deadpanned, his eye twitching slightly. He didn't like the notion of promoting eye candy to the male student population just so they'd join the swim club. Especially not when Byakuya was involved.

Damn. Haruka might have been on to something.

"Excuse me?"

They all froze. Miss Amakata stood in the doorway to the changing rooms, and she was surrounded by a malicious aura.

"If you do that, I'll quit immediately." She said viciously, stalking up to the two boys. Byakuya smirked at Nagisa's discomfort, but felt a little bit sorry for Mako- he hadn't really done anything wrong.

"I swore to myself that I'd never put on a swimsuit again!" Miss Amakata continued angrily before she smiled sweetly. "Understood? Are we clear?"

"Crystal." They peeped out fearfully.

Byakuya would have laughed at their expressions, but she felt a darker memory resurface at Miss Amakata's words.

_"Don't worry, I swear I won't put on a swimsuit again."_

That was what her mother had said when she had started treatment for her illness. Mikasa had stopped eating and became so skinny she looked close to emaciated, and her energy reserves were also at an all time low during that time. She had smiled at her two children back then as they watched her throw away her swimwear.

_"Mom! What are you doing?" Aoi said in shock. Byakuya just stared in silence, not quite comprehending what was going on._

_"I'll spare those innocent people their sight, huh? No one wants to see a zombie in a swimsuit!" Their mother joked lightly, though her voice rang with a hint of bitterness._

A week after that, Byakuya won another swimming competition. It was the first time she had raced without her mother there to cheer her on, and it was also the last time Byakuya had swam competitively- the emotional stress that had resulted from that had just been too much for the little girl to handle.

Byakuya exhaled slowly and focused her attention on Haruka's steady hands as he carved another wooden doll, pushing the memory to the back of her mind.

No matter how much she was trying to change, it looked like she still wasn't quite strong enough yet to dwell upon anything that reminded her of her past for long without backing away. Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides- how could she get over this?

From the sidelines, Makoto shot her a worried look that she didn't catch.

* * *

AN: Gods. Can I just say that writing about Rin kills me? I love the guy to death, really. Everytime he appears on screen even for a few seconds I just want to reach out and hug his pain away. You know that feel when you really want to be there for a fictional character just to comfort them, but you know you can't? Yeah. That's how I feel for Rin. (Looking at you too, Tetsuya Kuroko.) Also, double update because I'm feeling really pumped up to write! Further elaboration continues in the next chappy, because I don't wanna keep you guys waiting, haha! XD


	12. Chapter 12

******Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

Kou Matsuoka strolled over to where Makoto and Byakuya were painting the fence of the swimming pool, carrying a plastic bag with her.

"I'll leave the juice over here." She said casually as she set the bag down and squatted next to Makoto.

"Thanks." The two teens responded in unison. Makoto smiled at the girl while Byakuya just nodded in acknowledgement. Kou didn't mind the older girl's somewhat stiff response- she had noticed that Byakuya often got very reserved around those she wasn't familiar with.

"...I don't get it though." Kou continued slowly, breaching the subject that had been bugging her for a while now.

"Get what?" Makoto said curiously.

"Why didn't you guys start a swim club back when you were first-years?" The redhead asked.

"Haruka wasn't interested." Makoto answered simply.

"But why not? He's such a great swimmer!" Kou exclaimed.

Byakuya shut her eyes briefly at the question. That was one answer not even Makoto had a definite answer to.

"Haru joined the swim club in middle school, but quit at the end of our first year." Makoto responded wistfully.

"Did something happen?" Kou asked.

"No idea. He didn't want to talk about it. Our old swimming club closed down around the same time, and Haru hasn't done any competitive swimming since." Makoto said, concern lacing his voice as he turned around to look at where Nagisa and Haruka were painting the inside of the pool. It was discomforting to not know something about his best friend since childhood, but Haru had never spoken about it.

"So he wanted to quit swimming." Kou concluded.

"Probably."

"I wonder if my brother's the same way." Kou said sullenly.

Byakuya froze.

"Huh?" Makoto exclaimed, just as surprised.

"I went looking for my brother the other day, and I found out he wasn't on the swim team. He transferred to _Samezuka Academy_, but he's not on their swim team." Kou said despondently.

Byakuya exhaled slowly as she remembered her meeting with Rin at the swim club. She had been far too lost in her own thoughts to observe the boy closely, and she regretted it. Upon hearing Kou's words, her regret only grew. It had been a rare opportunity to have had Rin alone... had she been too selfish? Should she have put aside her own worries for Rin?

Yes. Yes she should have. And now there was nothing she could do about it.

She wanted to hit something.

"No way!" Makoto exclaimed. "I mean, he just raced Haru and-"

"He must have lost." Kou said quietly. "That's why he's given up on swimming."

"No, that can't be." Makoto said certainly. "I mean, when they raced that time..."

Byakuya grip on the paintbrush she was holding tightened as she recalled that night at Samezuka. Her premonition had been right. It hadn't ended well.

* * *

Haruka cut swiftly through the water- he swam so fast one would never have guessed that he hadn't been swimming for years.

"Haru's so good!" Makoto said admiringly as he stood with Nagisa and Byakuya by the sidelines.

"Yep! He lost ground to Rin-chan on every turn, but he's nearly caught up now!" Nagisa added.

Byakuya remained silent. She watched the two carefully, though she had to admit she was rather impressed by Haru's capability as well. She had been out of practice for as long as he had, but he was still a heck of a lot better than she was. At the back of her mind, she acknowledged that she was pretty jealous of his skill.

"They're making the final turn!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Who got it first?" Nagisa asked excitedly.

"Too close to tell!" Makoto answered.

"...Haru." Byakuya muttered under her breath. She'd always been a lot better at observing than actually swimming. "But Rin has a stronger kick, so..."

"They're neck and neck!" Nagisa announced.

"No... Rin's legs put him ahead after the turn!" Makoto said worriedly as he noticed the Matsuoka boy pulling ahead. "Haru..."

"Rin-kun wins." Byakuya stated quietly. Just as she said that, Rin slammed his palm against the wall of the pool. Haru followed suit barely a second after.

"Haru!" "Haru-chan!" Makoto and Nagisa cried out as they ran to the edge of the pool. Byakuya stayed where she was, not daring to go closer. The bad feeling she had didn't go away.

Rin yanked off his goggles and swimming cap. He grinned victoriously as he slammed his fist in the water with glee. "YES!"

Haruka panted from the exertion as he emerged from the water and pushed his goggles down around his neck. Makoto and Nagisa had run up to him, but he didn't respond to them. He slowly looked up at Rin.

"You win." He stated simply. "That's great, Rin."

There was that look again. The same one Byakuya had seen in Haru's eyes when there hadn't been any water in the pool at the old swim club. Hopefulness, longing, relief. It was all there again.

Rin seemed shocked at the declaration.

"That's... great?" He said lowly.

In a sudden movement, he yanked Haruka forth by the goggles the boy had around his neck, glaring ferociously at the raven-haired teen who simply gazed back blankly.

Byakuya let out a shout of surprise and stepped forth, but it was right then that a teacher burst through the doors of the indoor pool.

"What's going on here?" He demanded upon seeing the scene before him. "Matsuoka! Who are these other students?"

Rin scowled at the teacher and glared at Haru for another long moment before grudgingly releasing the boy. He "tch"ed in annoyance at the interruption and lifted himself out of the pool.

"They broke in. I challenged one of them to a race." He said simply.

"What were you thinking, Matsuoka?!" The teacher yelled. "It's against school rules to be out after curfew, let alone using the pool! I could have you suspended for this!"

"Whatever." The boy said curtly, hefting his clothes over his shoulder. He walked straight towards the exit, ignoring all of them as he did so. Byakuya was stunned. He had won, hadn't he? Wasn't that what he'd wanted? Why was he...

"Oi! Come back here!" The teacher called out, but Rin just ignored him and kept walking. The teacher seemed indignant and looked like he wanted to pursue the Samezuka student, but then changed his mind and refocused on the outsiders before him.

"You four. Come with me this instant." He demanded. They nodded meekly and followed after the teacher. Haruka was still dripping wet, but he didn't seem to care. He just kept on walking with a blank expression on his face.

Byakuya was silent throughout the whole ordeal, not even making a single rude or snarky comment as they were lectured by the teacher. All she could think of was the look in Rin's eyes as he'd walked past her on his way out.

It looked scarily like the reflection she'd seen in the mirror after her mom's death. Angry. Confused.

And empty.

* * *

"What?!" My brother won?" Kou exclaimed in shock, bringing Byakuya out of her thoughts. She loosened her hold on the brush and flexed her fingers- her hand hurt from clenching it too tightly.

"Yeah. Didn't Rin tell you?" Makoto asked, perplexed.

"He didn't respond, so I thought he was upset about losing." Kou admitted.

"He didn't seem very happy about winning, either." Makoto said thoughtfully and placed a hand on his chin in contemplation. "In fact, I'd say Haru was more happy with it than Rin was. He even congratulated Rin."

"What happened after that?" Kou persisted.

"Rin got pretty upset, but before he could do anything more, that was when we were found by a teacher who'd heard all the noise." Makoto finished.

"I don't get why Haruka-senpai would say that after losing." Kou mused.

Makoto smiled knowingly and glanced back at his best friend. "Haru just wanted to swim. He's back to his old self now. Haru was never one to care about winning or improving his time."

"... Will my brother also go back to his old self?" Kou asked quietly. She recalled the days of when her brother had been the smiley, happy boy he used to be. He'd cared for her, played with her, protected her, held her hand as they crossed the street... She didn't want this cold, distant stranger. She wanted her brother back.

The girl clenched her fist tightly. "You guys... still need one more member, right?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes. That's right." Makoto said.

"Please let me join!" She exclaimed. "...You guys are the only ones who can change my brother. If you're willing to have me, I can serve as your manager and help you out!"

Makoto was somewhat surprised at Kou's volunteer, but before he could respond, Nagisa called out from the pool.

"Ooh, ooh! What's going on?"

"Kou-chan offered to join the swim club! " Makoto yelled back.

"What? Really? That's great!" Nagisa cheered. "That means the swim club is officially open for business! Yay!"

"I think we better save the celebration until we get the pool finished, Nagi-kun. It ain't a swim club until we're actually able to swim!" Byakuya said, smiling. She was glad to have enough members for the swim club now, but she wasn't exactly used to the company of other people besides her regular circle of friends. She could be rather socially inept with new people, but she'd just have to suck it up.

She ran a hand through her hair and exhaled loudly. No one said change would be easy.

Next to the cheery Nagisa, Haruka was still painting the walls of the pool. No one saw it, but Haruka allowed himself to break out into a small smile.

* * *

Byakuya stood at the train station, casually waiting for the next train that would take her to the stop she wanted to go to. It was late evening, and she had already stopped by her house to clean herself up and eat after the day of pool-cleaning. Despite her initial plans to never get philosophical again, she'd had a lot to think about recently, and each time she found herself going back to the old swim club. She didn't know why, but somehow the place which had originally made her feel uneasy and cornered had become a place of solace for her. Going there was a routine she was starting to get used to. It made her feel stronger for some reason- like if she could get used to this place, she could adapt to any other change as well. She certainly hoped she could.

As she idly scrolled through her phone, she registered the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs leading up to the waiting platform. The footsteps stopped suddenly and she heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Byaku-chan?"

Byakuya paused and gulped. She'd recognize that voice anywhere- and it wasn't someone she particularly wanted to see at the moment. The dark-haired girl slowly turned around and laughed nervously.

Standing before her was the tall figure of Makoto Tachibana.

She was so dead.

"What are you doing out so late?" He asked curiously, though there was a stern undertone to his voice.

"Um, I could ask you the same thing?" She said weakly.

"I was going to go visit the old swim club. I heard they were tearing it down." The boy responded. Byakuya jumped.

"Wh-what? They are?"

"That's not important now, Byaku-chan. Why are you here?" He asked again.

"Eheh, well, you see Mako, I sorta, uh, have an errand to run...?"

Makoto obviously didn't believe her crappy lie for one second. Dangit. She couldn't weasel out of this one.

"Okay, fine... I've been going to the old swim club recently. Nearly every day, actually."

"What?"

Byakuya squirmed and cast her eyes to the ground. She didn't want to see the look that she was sure Makoto was giving her. Shocked, reprimanding, disappointed... it would make her feel even more guilty than she already did.

"I know. I shouldn't be out this late by myself, I'm sorry. It's just..." she trailed off. She didn't know how to explain herself. Could she just say "Oh I've been having a teen-life crisis that's giving me total reconsideration of my life and my ways and I have to go into old abandoned buildings to think them out because it feels more like home there than my own house does"?

Nah. She didn't think so. She'd already dumped enough of her troubles on Mako; he didn't need more to worry about.

Makoto sighed. "Didn't you say the place made you uncomfortable? Why have you been visiting it so regularly if that was the case?"

"I guess I got over it." She shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me? You've risked getting yourself caught again for trespassing, and you know what could happen to a girl who's out at night on her own." Makoto insisted.

"I know! I know! But please, Mako. I just have a lot to think about recently, that's all. Don't worry about it."

"That only makes me worry more."

But before he could pursue the topic, the train they had been waiting for came around the bend, and Byakuya quickly jumped on the oppurtunity to direct the attention away from her.

"Oh look! The train's here! We better get on then!" She said quickly and dashed away before Makoto could stop her. The boy stared for a moment and sighed.

Really. Women.

* * *

Byakuya had plugged in her earphones when she got on the train, eager not to talk to Makoto or let him guilt her into telling him. The Tachibana boy grudgingly let it slide.

For now.

When they arrived at the old swim club, they saw that it had already been partially torn down. Several bulldozers and the excavators were left in the area; the demolishing was probably gonna continue tomorrow.

"Ah. Looks like you were right." Byakuya said, trying to sound casual, but Makoto could hear the sadness underlining her voice. He didn't blame her; he was feeling pretty down himself at the moment.

They just gazed silently at the old building for a long time. So many precious memories had been made here- all of them had met at this exact place. To see it getting torn down... it just showed how much time had passed since those days, how much had changed.

Byakuya felt her heart sink into her stomach. She couldn't help but think of the bitter irony the demolishing of the old swim club held. Just as she was starting to get used to coming here, it got torn down just like that. It was a cold reminder just how easily her comfort zone could fall apart- another reason for her to learn to stand on her own two feet without relying so heavily on the false peace that monotony brought her.

"It hurts, eh? It's not easy to watch as your memories get destroyed." A new voice said wistfully, snapping the two teens' attentions away from the structure. A man with short blonde hair and a goatee had spoken. He was wearing a red helmet and a uniform that suggested he worked as a pizza delivery man- the vehicle he had just exited proved the theory.

"Were you kids a part of this club?" The man continued, oblivious to the confused looks the two teens were shooting him. Who was this guy? "Well, you can't go against the times. It's sad."

Suddenly, Makoto gasped in realization. "W-wait, are you... Coach Sasabe?"

"Huh?" The man responded.

"Wait, you mean that coach my brother pulled a prank on by putting itching powder in his swimsuit?" Byakuya asked.

"One of the kids did that?"

"Uh, I mean...:

"It's me, Makoto! Makoto Tachibana!" The emerald-eyed boy interrupted exuberantly, stepping closer to the man.

With a start, Goro Sasabe's memory kicked in. "Oh! It's you! You've grown real big, Makoto! It's been too long!" He said, grinning at the boy.

"Haha, that's right. We haven't seen you in years... you remember Byaku-chan too, right?"

"Ah, that's right... Mikasa's kid, right?" Coach Sasabe asked in confirmation. "Hm, you've grown into quite the lovely young lady, Byakuya. Just like your mother. I suppose you two are dating now, hm? You're quite the lucky fel-"

"We're not dating!" Both Makoto and Byakuya exclaimed in unison.

"Heh, sure you kids aren't. Really, there's no need to hide these kind of issues from me; young love is a beautiful thing. Why, I remember my first-"

"What are you doing now, Coach? Y'know, since the club shut down?" Byakuya cut in immediately. She was starting to feel very awkward with where the conversation was heading.

And why did everyone assume she and Makoto were together?

"Ah. Good question." Goro responded, successfully diverting from the topic. "Well, I work part-time as a pizza delivery man now." He said, patting his white vehicle. "Did you two come here for one last glimpse?"

"Is that why you're here?" Makoto inquired.

"Just thought I'd stop by after a delivery. How are the other boys doing?"

"They're fine. We go to the same school as Haru and Nagisa." Makoto replied.

"Are you all and Rin still friends?"

Byakuya stiffened. That was a question she wasn't quite sure of the answer to.

Makoto paused slightly at the question himself, but didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes. He goes to a different school though."

"Rin's back from Australia, right? " Goro continued. "He looked pretty glum when I last saw him, so I was a little worried."

"You saw Rin?" Byakuya exclaimed.

"Glum?" Makoto added.

"Haru didn't tell you?" Coach Sasabe looked surprised.

Makoto and Byakuya were shell-shocked. What was he talking about?

"I think it was during the winter of your first year of middle school." The old coach mused. "I was closing down the place for the end of the year when Haruka and Rin showed up. Apparently, they had run into each other when Rin was back home."

"Did they have a race?" Makoto asked immediately.

"That's right. And Haruka won easily."

Byakuya gulped at that statement. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"Rin was pretty upset about it. Can't blame him." The coach continued solemnly. "He went to a swimming school abroad, and it didn't make a difference."

Makoto and Byakuya were silent, and the coach asked worriedly, "Is something wrong?"

"No..." Makoto responded quietly.

_'Oh god.'_ Byakuya thought to herself, placing her hand over her mouth._ 'That explains it. Everything. Haru, Rin...'_ She felt sick. All those ill thoughts she'd had towards Rin... they were all so misplaced. Rin was hurt. Her friend was _hurt_. And Haruka... he felt guilty- _was _guilty.

'Haru... why didn't you tell us?'

* * *

Makoto leaned on the steel railing which ran along the road path leading down the hill. He had considered taking the train back the same way he'd came, but both he and Byakuya had agreed that they could use a walk to somehow relieve the shock of the whole revelation they had uncovered after their meeting with their old coach. They both gazed out over the cliff at the scenery of the Iwatobi ocean at night- it was quite the sight. With the light of the moon reflecting on the surface of the ocean as the waves moved slowly against the shores... it was stunning.

"It's a beautiful world, isn't it?" Byakuya commented, leaning her head agaist Makoto's shoulder. It was a soothing sight to behold after the stress of everything that had happened, and it helped her to take her mind off the issues at hand.

"...Yeah. It is." Makoto agreed nonchalantly, trying to ignore the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat at Byakuya's physical contact.

"And yet... there's so many things to worry about. So much danger, sadness, despair... it's easy to forget just how beautiful the world can be." She continued, her voice laced with sorrow. "...Do you think Rin-kun still sees the world like he used to?"

Makoto glanced down at the girl. She looked tired. And afraid. It reminded him of that time she had slept in his bed after her mother's funeral. He wanted to assure her that everything would be okay, but how could he guarantee that when he himself didn't know where they were heading? The future was uncertain; not set in stone... he didn't want to make a promise he might not be able to keep.

So instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his cellphone, and dialled a number. Byakuya gave him a curious look, but he just smiled reassuringly as he waited for someone to pick up. When no one did so and the intercept message came on, he decided to leave a voice mail.

"Rin? It's me, Makoto." He said cheerfully. "We're starting up a swim club. So, you should join the swim team; we might get to swim together at tournaments! It'll be like old times, remember? Yeah, well... that's all I wanted to say. If you ever want to talk, feel free to call me back, okay? See ya, Rin."

As Makoto hung up and placed his phone back in his pocket, Byakuya laughed quietly.

"You... you really know how to make me feel better, Mako. Even when I don't say anything... thank you." She said honestly.

"It's nothing, Byaku-chan. I did it for all of us." He said, chuckling as well. After a moment's hesitation, he slowly lifted his arm and placed it on Byakuya's shoulder. Much to his relief, the girl didn't freeze up or shy away. In fact, she actually shuffled closer.

Byakuya smiled slightly. It was nice being held like this. Makoto's embrace felt warm and welcome...it felt like home.

The thought she'd had earlier that week came back to her- the one she'd had when she and Haruka had been scrubbing out the pool.

Maybe... maybe it wouldn't be too bad to like Makoto in that way.

They just stayed that way for a long time in silence, gazing at the nighttime scenery and enjoying that brief moment of peace in their hectic lives.

* * *

On the other side of town, Rin Matsuoka lay awake in his bed as he listened to Makoto's message.

"I didn't need you to tell me that." He grumbled out to no one in particular. "I already decided to join the swim team. However..."

Here, he opened up his ruby eyes and gazed up at the ceiling.

"I'm not doing it for a chance to swim with you guys again."

No. He wasn't that same little kid anymore.

He was going to beat Haruka. And he was going to achieve his dream.

* * *

By the following week, the pool of the Iwatobi High School was finally finished and had been filled with water. Byakuya had to admit; it was quite a beaut. She felt a swell of pride at the result of her and her friends' hard work.

"Okay!" Miss Amakata announced as all the members of the swim club gathered by the newly finished pool. "Here's to the establishment of the new swim club!"

"Cheers!" They all said at the same time as they brought their plastic cups together.

"It's not warm enough to start swimming, but we filled the pool as a test run." Miss Amakata said as she twirled her umbrella. "All that's left is to toss these in!" She said as she held out a packet of chlorine tablets.

"Ooh, let's all take one and throw em in at the same time!" Nagisa suggested enthusiastically.

"Y'know, now that I think about it, these things look like drugs too." Byakuya said idly.

"Really, again, Byaku-chan?" Makoto asked.

"What can I say. I know my stuff."

"C'mon you guys! Let's all take one!" Kou said cheerfully and handed the packet around to everyone.

They all took different positions around the pool and, on Miss Amakata's signal, threw the tablets in.

"There!" Nagisa announced. "The swim club is finally ready to go!"

"Well, we still can't get in the pool ye-"

But Makoto was cut off by a shriek from Kou and Miss Amakata. They all turned around to witness Haruka stripping off his uniform and revealing his swimming trunks. Again.

"Wait! Haru!" Makoto cried out. "You were wearing your swimsuit again?"

"One day I'm gonna glue those clothes onto that boy if it'll stop his impulsive stripping." Byakuya added.

"I can't get enough of those triceps!" Kou squealed.

"What? Triceps?" Makoto asked confusedly before Haruka splashed into the pool.

"Haru! It's still too cold right now!" Makoto cried, but was completely ignored.

"Too late. He's in Haruland again." Byakuya commented as the boy floated on his back in the water, a serene expression on his face.

"I don't see the problem." Nagisa said, stretching. "He looks comfortable enough."

"True... No, wait! His lips are turning purple!" Kou exclaimed.

"Get out of the water before you catch a cold!" Makoto cried. But once again, Haru just ignored everyone and dived under.

"Go, Haru-chan!" Nagisa cheered.

"No! He can't!" Makoto panicked.

"I'll go find a net!" Kou suggested.

"Huh? A net?"

"Nah that won't work. You should go find some mackerel instead."

"Really, Byaku-chan? Mackerel?"

"We can lure him in."

"It's settled then! I'll go find some mackerel!"

"No! Wait! Haru-"

The boy just kept on swimming.

That was the start of the new Iwatobi Swim Club- the start of their new adventure as a team. And quite an adventure it would be.

* * *

AN: Episode 2- end! Whew, long chapter, that was sorta tough to write. I don't know how authors who write original plots are able to write this long and/or longer. Really salute them, that takes boatloads of creativity.

Anyhoo, to continue where my last AN stopped, I'd like to give loads of cyber cookies to Mama-Child09 and batgirl94 for faving this story, bloodplus103 for adding this story to your favourites and alerts, and Shizuka Kitsune for doing all of the above as well as adding my profile to your favourites! I just...wow. I didn't really expect so much response for this fic; let alone think I was good enough to get on any faved authors list. Thank you all so much! The same goes to everyone else who has reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story (If you're reading this, NotSauron, you're always gonna be special for being my very first reviewer, haha!), thank you all so very, very much! It's really thanks to you guys that I continue updating this fic, your responses-in any form- all mean very much to me! This double update goes out to all of you!

See you next water time!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"Byaku-nee! Ren took my doll again!"

"No I didn't! Don't believe her, onee-chan! She's trying to get me in trouble again!"

"You're just mad because I broke your stupid action figure!"

"Optimus Prime is not stupid!"

"BYAKU-NEE!" The Tachibana twins both shouted at the same time, demanding the older girls' attention.

Byakuya wanted to jump off a cliff. For the third time that morning.

She was stuck babysitting the twins that Sunday, since Makoto had gone to Haru's and no one was at home to take care of the kids. Haruka- the idiot- had gotten sick after his little dip in the pool yesterday, though he wouldn't admit it. As for Mr and Mrs Tachibana, they had to go out to handle some business that day, and so it was up to Byakuya to handle the two rascals.

She loved the twins, she really did, but did they have to be so damn hyper all the time?

"Alright, calm down you two... okay, Ran, are you sure that Ren took your doll?" She asked, trying to keep herself calm.

"I didn't-" Ren started to protest, but was silenced by a raised hand from Byakuya.

"Ren. I was talking to your sister. Just let me finish, okay?" When the boy nodded grudgingly, she continued. "Ran?"

"Positive! I broke his toy yesterday by accident, so now he took Mira-chan as revenge!" Ran stated heatedly.

"Why would I take your dumb doll?!"

"Don't call Mira-chan dumb!"

"You called Optimus stupid!"

"That's cuz he is!"

"Now, wait, wait, you two." Byakuya said seriously, regaining the twins' attention. "Ran, did you actually see your brother take Mira-chan?"

The girl paused for a moment, then sheepishly shook her head.

"Ren, you promise you didn't take your sister's doll?"

"I swear it!"

"Right. Ran, when did you last see Mira-chan?"

"This morning! I left her on my bed before breakfast, and now she's gone!"

"Who was in charge of making the beds this morning?"

"Mako-nii." They responded in unison.

"Doesn't Makoto like putting things away in the closet when he cleans?"

The twins didn't move for a moment. Then, they suddenly turned and ran up the stairs to their shared bedroom. Byakuya slowly followed after them and could hear the door slamming open as Ran ravaged the cupboard. Soon, she heard Ran's triumphant shout and reached the room in time to see the girl hugging her doll close to her chest.

"Now, Ran, what do you say to your brother?" Byakuya said reprimandingly as she stood in the doorway of the room.

Ran turned red and shuffled her feet, unable to look her brother in the eye.

"Sorry, Ren." She said softly.

"I told you I didn't do it." Her brother responded smugly.

"Ren..." Byakuya said sternly.

The boy pouted and seemed reluctant that he was unable to gloat, but complied. "Oh fine. It's okay, Ran... Just don't ever call Optimus stupid ever again."

"But Bumblebee is so much better!" The girl cried out.

"No he isn't!"

"Yes he is!"

"No he's not!"

"He is!"

"He isn't!"

"BYAKU-NEE!" They shouted, turning towards the teen again.

Byakuya rubbed the sides of her temple in irritation, trying to figure out a way to solve this fairly. As hard as she was trying to do things without complaint, this was testing her patience. Dammit, she wouldn't have to be doing this by herself if Haru hadn't gone swimming in the cold.

"Damn you, Haruka Nanase. I hope you're having a horrible day." She cursed under her breath.

* * *

On another side of the neighbourhood, Haruka sneezed loudly.

"Wow, that one was a strong one." Nagisa commented.

"Haru, you feeling okay?" Makoto asked.

"My late grandma used to say that you sneeze when someone else is talking about you." Haruka sniffed.

"Here." Makoto said, handing the boy some tissue, which Haruka gratefully accepted.

"Oh? Then it must be Rin-chan!" Nagisa enthused.

"...No, I think he's just sick." Makoto corrected. "It's because you were swimming in the pool in April."

"I'm not a baby who gets sick from swimm-" but before he could finish his protest, the raven-haired boy was cut off by another sneeze, this one violent enough to rattle the cups on the table.

"It's too early to be swimming in outdoor pools. We just have to work out until it gets warmer." Makoto said idly.

"Oh yeah!" Nagisa suddenly exclaimed. "I heard from Gou-chan that Rin-chan joined the Samezuka swim team!"

Haruka paused at this information. So he had, had he?

"Huh?" Makoto exclaimed.

"Something wrong Mako-chan?" Nagisa asked curiously.

Makoto gave a secretive smile as he recalled the other day when he had left that voice mail for Rin. He was actually hoping that he had played some small part in the boy's participation in the swim team, but he couldn't be totally sure.

"No... it's nothing. But this means we might run into him in a tournament. " Makoto continued.

"Yeah! We should enter tournaments! Then we can participate in relays again." The blonde said enthusiastically.

"I only swim freestyle. " Haruka said simply. This was starting to sound somewhat familiar...

"Does that mean you can't swim in relays?" Nagisa asked cheekily.

Silence.

"Don't say that!" Nagisa implored.

Still no response.

"Come onnnnn..." Nagisa despaired.

"Besides," Haruka finally commented. "We can't swim a relay with only 3 people."

"That's true..." Nagisa said thoughtfully. "That means..."

"WE NEED TO FIND ANOTHER MEMBER?!" He suddenly cried out as he shot up, hands pulling at his blonde locks. He remembered all too well the horrible failure of a recruitment session he had to go through. Just when he thought he would never have to experience such a depressing thing again, this bombshell got dumped on him.

"Ohh man... how are we gonna do this?" Nagisa groaned.

"Well, you and Byaku-chan could just go and do whatever you guys did the last time you tried to get more members." Makoto suggested.

"But Bya-kun sucks at recruiting! She's even worse at that than she is at History!" The underclassman whined.

Back in the Tachibana household, Byakuya sneezed.

"Must be getting sick." She sniffed.

* * *

Nagisa sat despondently on the train that day in his way to school. He was still trying to figure out how to get a new member in the swim club. He knew it was going to be really tough, but he wanted to do this; to swim in a relay again. And when Nagisa Hazuki wanted something, his persistence made sure he almost always got it.

'But it'll be hard to find a new member now- I was turned down by everyone the last time I asked.' The boy mused to himself.

Suddenly, a small movement caught his attention. He glanced up and saw a familiar glasses-wearing bluenette reading a small book which was entitled "Physical Training".

"Ryugazaki-kun?" Nagisa asked, surprised. He hadn't even noticed his classmate standing there. "You go to school by train?"

Ryugazaki simply spared him a brief glance before returning his attention to his book. "Yes." He said curtly.

Nagisa ignored the boy's stand-offish attitude- which was easy to do since he dealt with a similar thing from Haruka- and continued smiling at the boy.

"Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you a favour as a classmate..."

"I won't join the swim club." The boy cut off the blonde in the middle of his sentence.

"Huh? How did you know before I said anything?" Nagisa exclaimed, surprised.

"It was easy enough to guess." The bluenette responded calmly, gesturing to the bag at Nagisa's feet. "Considering the recruitment posters in your bag and those swimsuit Iwatobi-chan straps you probably plan to give to new recruits."

Nagisa was awed by his classmate's observant nature. But then again, Ryugazaki always did seem like the intellectual type.

"As I mentioned before," Rei pushed up his glasses as the train slowed down at the next stop. "I have already joined the track team. Goodbye." The boy then stepped off the train.

"Huh? Why? The school is at the next station!" Nagisa exclaimed. But the bespectacled boy simply continued on his way, leaving Nagisa blinking in confusion for a moment.

* * *

"Wow!" The blonde said enthusiastically as he pressed his face up against the glass of the carriage he was sitting in. The students seated next to him were shuffling away awkwardly at the boy's excitement. "He runs the last stretch everyday!"

The boy was watching his classmate as he kept pace with the train as he went on his way to school. Nagisa admired his determination; not many students were that dedicated.

Now he really wanted Ryugazaki on the swim team.

* * *

Haruka sniffed as he crouched by the edge of the pool, rubbing at his itchy nose.

He gazed at the pool like a lost puppy, staring at it with great longing in his ocean-blue eyes.

"I want to swim already..."

Byakuya walked by, carrying the net she had been using to scoop out the fallen leaves from the pool.

"If you ever get sick and leave me to deal with the twins alone again, Haru-kun..." she said with a sweet smile and equally sweet voice, though it was underlined with a dangerous tone. "I will make you pay. Painfully."

Haruka didn't let his facial expression change, but he found it rather difficult to swallow.

It looked like he might have been right about someone talking about him yesterday.

* * *

"Wow! We can swim here in the off-season? Awesome!" Nagisa said happily as he leaned closer to look at the advertisement Kou was showing them. Next to him, Makoto was just as enthusiastic. The advertisement depicted a sports gym which was equipped with an indoor swimming pool- just what they needed.

"Isn't it?" Kou said cheerily. She was glad to be of assistance to the swim club- she was pretty pumped up about being manager. "I was thinking schools like us without indoor pools require facilities like these."

"Way to go, Gou-chan!" Nagisa cheered. "Our super manager!"

"You're supposed to call me Kou!" The girl said insistently, though she was happy at the compliment.

"No point arguing it, Kou-san. Once Nagi-kun settles on a name, he doesn't let it go."

Kou started as she noticed that the other two upperclassmen from outside had walked back in as well.

"Haruka-senpai. Byakuya-senpai." She greeted.

Byakuya gave a small smile at the girl while Haruka simply reached out and took hold of the piece of paper in Kou's hands. He looked it over briefly.

"How do we pay for it?" He asked immediately.

"With our club budget of course!" Kou replied.

"Ah! I see." Nagisa said.

"We have a club budget?" Byakuya asked confusedly.

...Yeah, there was that look from everyone again. She really needed to stop asking stupid questions.

"...I don't really know how these club thingies work." She said sheepishly.

When Byakuya had said that she had stopped caring about things, she'd meant it literally. She hadn't bothered to know about little things like these, but she was trying to now. Makoto simply smiled sympathetically.

"The gym is pretty expensive to join." The olive-haired boy said, returning back to the topic at hand. "If our club budget will really cover that..."

Here he gave a sidelong glance at Haruka. He knew the boy was eager to swim again, and he would be more than happy to be able to do so now.

"This is the real reason we started a swim club." Makoto said, mimicking Haru's voice. "That's probably what you're thinking, right?" He asked cheekily.

Haruka gave him an annoyed look and turned his face away. "Shut up." He muttered. Sometimes having a best friend who could practically read your thoughts was embarassing.

"This means we can swim all year round!" Nagisa cried happily.

* * *

"Sorry. That's not happening." Miss Amakata said apologetically.

"What? Why?" Nagisa groaned.

"The school isn't going to give that much money to a brand new club with no accomplishments." The teacher explained.

"But how are we supposed to achieve any 'accomplishments' without the proper training?" Byakuya pointed out.

"There is an aphorism from the Bible," Miss Amakata stated wisely. "'He who does not work, neither shall he eat.'"

"...But I'm not hungry." Byakuya said, somewhat confused. She sucked when it came to understanding metaphors.

"I don't think you're using that properly." Makoto corrected the teacher hesitantly. Well, if he said so, then he was probably right. The boy was a genius at Literature. It was only thanks to his tutelage that Byakuya had even passed that subject- barely, but a pass nonetheless.

"You can't eat a pool." Nagisa complained. Apparently Literature wasn't his best subject either.

"So we'll get the money if we deliver accomplishments?" Kou interjected before they could get too far off topic.

"I suppose. That's the best way to secure lots of money for your club." Miss Amakata confirmed.

"Accomplishments..." Haruka murmured. That was something he hadn't gotten in a while for his swimming.

"So, what if we can place in a summer tournament?" Makoto asked hopefully.

"Your request might be approved at the second term budget meeting." Miss Amakata replied. "But you'll need at least 4 swimmers to bolster your case. 5 would be better, though..."

"Let's try for five." Byakuya suggested. "It would definitely help out if we had more achievements, so let's go with that."

"That's right! We could definitely use more members!" Nagisa supported. To be honest, he didn't just want more members for the club's sake; he was serious about wanting to participate in another relay with his friends, and this was the perfect oppurtunity.

"...And then I can swim all I want!" Haru's voice suddenly whispered intensely.

"Did you say something?" Makoto turned around and asked his best friend.

Haruka made no response, instead he stormed right out of the faculty office, leaving everyone stunned.

"Haru-chan seems really motivated now!" Nagisa observed cheerily.

"...Oh good lord." Byakuya sighed and trudged after the boy, followed by Makoto and Nagisa.

They came out just in time to witness Haru step up to two other students standing in the hallway.

"Oh, he stopped." Nagisa commented.

"Hey, you." Haruka said, gaining the attention of the two boys, who backed away nervously at the sight of Haru's intense gaze. He ignored their reactions, however, and instead held up one of the Iwatobi-chan straps he had been carrying around.

"I'll give you this. So join the swim club." He said plainly.

The students just stared at him for a while before giving a simple "No thanks." and walking off.

"Ouch." Nagisa blinked.

"It's hopeless. That's the best Haru can manage." Makoto sighed.

"Wow. And I thought I sucked at recruiting." Byakuya deadpanned.

"Don't be so mean, Bya-kun!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Haru-chan, don't let it get to you!"

"It's true though." the girl muttered under her breath.

Unfortunately, Nagisa heard her.

She spent the next hour nursing her injured foot again.

* * *

AN: I'm aware that Ran refers to herself in third-person, but I figured that it would have been a bit confusing if I used her speech pattern in writing. So... yeahh. I can't wait to write Rei, that boy is too fabulous for his own good. That butterfly's the hero of the story, yo. And I sorta deviated from the original plot where they didn't recommend a fifth swimmer, but I added that change to fit in with the canon story as well as an original occurence later on... you'll see soon enough ;)

Many thanks to introvertedHermit for following this story! I hope I can keep up your interest in this fic!

See ya'll next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

"Nagi-kun. I have to study for a History exam." Byakuya grumbled as the boy yanked on her arm.

"Oh stop complaining, Bya-kun! You've always been fine with flunking!" Nagisa stated.

"...I'm offended that you assume that I always fail my History tests."

"That's because you do!"

"Shut up."

"Uhm, Nagisa, why did you come and get us, again?" Makoto interrupted the two before they could continue. Nagisa had gathered all the members of the swim club together and was leading them somewhere, excitedly pulling on Haruka and Byakuya's arms as the two unenthusiastic teens grudgingly let the boy do so.

"Cmon! This way!" The blonde continued as he lead them all out towards the school track field.

"What is it?" Haruka said, irritated.

"I found the perfect person!" Nagisa enthused.

"From the track team?" Kou said doubtfully.

"He can't join us then." Makoto said, disappointed.

"Look!" Nagisa suddenly exclaimed, ignoring his friends' protests. "There he is!"

They all looked in the direction Nagisa was pointing, eyes landing on a fairly muscular bluenette wearing protective goggles over his eyes. He was dressed in a normal track uniform and was stretching his arms in preparation for his turn on the field.

"It's his fate!" Nagisa continued enthusiastically.

"Ryugazaki-san? That's who you're trying to recruit?" Byakuya raised a brow. She had met the kid once when her Biology teacher had introduced them, since they were the highest scoring of their years at the subject. He seemed like the serious, stiff kind- not the sort of person she normally socialized with; though Haru sort of fit that criteria.

"You know him too, Bya-kun? That's great! It'll be easier for us to get along then!"

"Was he on the swim team in middle school?" Haruka asked.

"Does he hold a record?" Kou added.

"It's his name!" Nagisa answered. The others were all confused.

"His name?" Makoto inquired.

"It's Rei Ryugazaki-chan!" Nagisa said exuberantly. "He's the same as us; a boy with a girly name!"

"That's your reason?" Kou exclaimed. Now she was startled; Nagisa had dragged them all here just because the guy had a girl's name? Not because of his swimming abilities, or experience, but his name?

"Yep!"

Kou sighed, but observed the bluenette closely. "Though, I have to agree... look at those deltoids!" Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the boy's muscular arms.

"That's your reason?!" Makoto exclaimed at the girl's statement. "You really think those are good enough reasons?"

"My reason is very good!" Kou defended.

"... Do all girls react this way when they see men's bodies?" Byakuya mused.

As they all bickered lightly over the issue, they failed to notice that Rei was starting his turn on the field. It was Haruka that called their attention to that fact.

"Hey. It looks like he's about to jump." He said calmly. Everyone immediately turned back to the Ryugazaki boy.

Byakuya watched him closely. He was balancing the pole in his grip, and readied himself for the pole vault. She saw his lips moving slightly as he muttered something to himself; though she had no clue what it was he could have been whispering. He soon started jogging towards the bar, slowly accelerating to increase the amount of energy he'd be able to put into the jump. He kept his body upright as he ran, gradually lowering the pole he was holding as he neared the landing pit. When the pole hit the pit, Rei launched into the air, his feet straight up. At his maximum height, he twisted his body gracefully, successfully dodging the pole. He made it look so effortless and smooth, like a well-oiled machine. They all watched in awe as he let himself fall back onto the landing mat.

Hell, he made falling look good.

Byakuya's eyes widened. "Well. Shit." She muttered. Suddenly the first-year academic genius was a heck of a lot more intriguing.

"His form was beautiful." Makoto commented, impressed. "He's probably a great diver."

Even Haruka gave a nod of agreement. Rei had definitely gotten his appraisal; not many could pull off a jump like that so gracefully.

"Absolutely!" Kou squealed. "And his biceps are also beautiful!"

"Is that all you care about?" Makoto exclaimed.

"Don't try to understand, Mako. It's a girl thing." Byakuya commented.

Nagisa just stared on in amazement, ignoring the conversation going on. Ryugazaki had way exceeded his expectations- he was absolutely stumped.

Oh yeah. He was getting Rei on the swim team, no matter what it took.

* * *

"Well, now that that's over and done with... I think it's about time to head back." Byakuya said. "Mr Hasegawa's gonna throw either himself or me out of the window if I flunk another test."

"You can't possibly be that bad. I mean, you're pretty good with Science and English." Kou said, tilting her head curiously. She knew that much about the Shion girl- back in grade school she'd given Rin the answers to his Science test while in exchange he'd helped her cheat in her Maths test. Both their moms had blown their tops when they found out.

"That's cuz those are easy. And interesting." Byakuya grumbled.

"Easy for you to say." Haruka muttered. English was his worst subject.

"Eheh. Sorry 'bout that, I forgot..." Byakuya laughed sheepishly.

"Well, anyway." Makoto said. "Since you and Haru are coming over to my place to study, you two can stay for dinner if you wa-"

"That's it!" Nagisa suddenly exclaimed, cutting Makoto off in the middle of his sentence. "Bya-kun! You know Rei-chan, right? You can help me convince him to join the swim club!"

"What?" Byakuya said confusedly.

"Rei-chan rides the same train as I do to go home; we could talk to him then!" Nagisa said excitedly.

"I can't. I barely even exchanged two sentences with the guy."

"It's better than nothing!"

"I already told you, Nagi-kun. I need to study."

"It's a History exam, right? You can sleep over at my place, and I could tutor you! That way we can kill two birds with one stone!"

"I couldn't possibly-"

"You can borrow one of my sisters' clothes during your stay! And you can use our guest room too! Cmon, Bya-kun, we really need to get Rei-chan in the club!"

"But-"

"Pleaseeee, Bya-kun?" The blonde pleaded, clutching Byakuya's arm and looking up at her with his puppy-dog eyes. He did have a point- it might help a bit since she had spoken to Ryugazaki before, though not much. It was troublesome however, especially since she had an upcoming test, and Byakuya didn't really want to go through the trouble. But then again, the swim club was important too, so...

...Either it was her want to change her attitude that was making her reconsider or Nagisa's puppy face was working for once. She dearly hoped it was the former.

Byakuya sighed and turned to her other companions. "I hope you don't mind, guys..."

Makoto just nodded in understanding. "It's alright, Byaku-chan. Nagisa is right, this could work out pretty well if both of you could recruit Ryugazaki-kun. Besides, Nagisa's better at History than either of us anyway."

"Yeah, I know. But still..."

"Don't worry about it. Go ahead." Makoto said kindly, ruffling her hair.

"Okay... if you say so." Byakuya said unsurely.

Nagisa let out a whoop of triumph. "Yeah! Let's go, Bya-kun! We have to get to the train station before Rei-chan does!"

"Since when do you know him well enough to call him by his first name...?" Byakuya asked as Nagisa forcefully dragged her away for the second time that day.

"Nagisa-kun is very... lively." Kou commented. "I almost pity Byakuya-senpai. "

"Yeah, well, they've been that way for years now." Makoto replied as they all continued on their way. It was true- both Nagisa and Byakuya had gotten along rather well as kids; they had always pulled the craziest antics and shared a rather peculiar sense of humour. After Byakuya stopped attending swim club, though, they had drifted apart after the girl became more and more withdrawn. But now... it looked like that obstacle was slowly starting to disappear.

The thought made Makoto smile. It was nice to see how things were slowly going back to normal for their little group. Now, if only they could get Rin back to his old, friendly self... everything would be perfect again.

* * *

Rei Ryugazaki was casually walking down the stairs leading to the waiting platform at the train station, reading his book as he did so. It was a talent that had taken quite some time to get right- being able to read and walk at the same time without hitting or tripping over anything- but he had done it. Practice made perfect, and he was now able to pull off the cool image that came with being able to do so.

Byakuya wished she could look half as cool as that. She was getting more and more impressed with the guy with every new thing she discovered that he could do- no wonder Nagisa wanted him on the swim team.

"Hey, Rei-chan!" Nagisa called out as the two of them stood up from their seats.

The bluenette seemed to want to avoid speaking with the blonde, but when he registered what Nagisa had called him, he started.

"'Rei-chan'?!" He said, somewhat annoyed.

"Told you he probably wouldn't like being called that, Nagi-kun." Byakuya commented. "Ryugazaki-san." She greeted the other boy.

"Shion-senpai." Rei nodded his head in acknowledgement and turned back to his book, trying to send off the signal that he really didn't want to talk with them.

Byakuya got the message. Nagisa didn't.

"Oh, you can call me Nagisa!" The blonde said cheerily, either oblivious to the boy's cold demeanour or ignoring it. Most likely it was the latter.

"I won't." Rei responded, pushing his glasses up. "We're not that close."

"We can get closer once you join the swim club." Nagisa hinted, moving closer to Rei. That boy was about as subtle as a gun sometimes.

"I'm not going to join." Rei answered as he shifted away from the blonde, eyes never leaving his book. Nagisa simply moved closer again, and the cycle continued, much to Byakuya's amusement. "I'm only interested in sports that are beautiful."

"Like track?" Nagisa inquired.

"Yes. It's a sport known for beautiful events such as pole-vaulting. You can attain the perfect form through theory and calculation!" Rei proclaimed.

"That sounds too difficult for me to understand." Nagisa said, confused at the boy's fancy terms.

"You could give swimming a shot, Ryugazaki-san." Byakuya commented, trying to do her part in the underclassman's recruitment. "You might like it."

"Highly doubtful. And I am perfectly fine with my place on the track field."

"You could be in both clubs at once!" Nagisa suggested. "You use your arm muscles for pole vaulting, right? So wouldn't swimming be perfect?"

"I'm not going to join both." Rei said in irritation, finally shutting his book and placing a hand on his forehead. "After all, humans evolved to live on land. Why would you go backwards and play sports in water?"

"...I think he just said swimmers are devolved homosapiens." Byakuya deadpanned.

Nagisa gave her a look that clearly said that she wasn't helping.

"It defies reason!" Rei suddenly shouted, swinging out his arms for emphasis. Both Nagisa and Byakuya jumped at the boy's loss of composure. "Don't forget water has 12 to 13 times the viscosity of air! And do you have any idea how many accidents occur in water-based sports compared to land sports? Not to mention the statistics-"

The underclassman continued to rant on about the advantages of land sports compared to water sports. Byakuya and Nagisa sweatdropped.

"Well there goes my inital impression of him as the cool, collected type." Byakuya muttered.

Nagisa had to nod in agreement.

* * *

"So, this Muramasa-"

"Masamune."

"Right. His mom preferred his younger brother over him just because he had a defect eye?"

"Well, they were royalty; they had pretty high expectations for monarchs back then."

"Still. Isn't that a pretty weak reason?"

"The exams aren't going to ask for an in-depth explanation of why Yoshihime preferred her second born, Bya-kun."

"Then why is it in the book?"

"It's an extra fact that may be important."

"...This is why I hate History." Byakuya groaned as she slumped in her seat at Nagisa's study table. The boy had kept his end of the bargain and was tutoring her- and man, he was good. To think he hadn't even started the second-year syllabus... this wasn't exactly great for Byakuya's self esteem. She made a mental note to study harder.

"Don't be like that! If you hate a subject, you'll never be able to score!" Nagisa said.

"That explains why you suck at Maths, then."

"But Maths is boring!"

"And that makes our situations different...how?"

Nagisa didn't have an answer to that, so he changed the subject. Smart boy.

"Say, Bya-kun. What are we gonna do about Rei-chan?" He asked, putting his chin in his hand. Getting his classmate to join the swim team had been lot easier in his head; he definitely hadn't expected Rei to react the way he had back at the train station.

Byakuya huffed and leaned back in her chair. "Well... He doesn't really seem all that interested. In fact, he seems to hate swimming- heaven help that boy if Haru actually meets him- so... maybe we should let it go? Try to find another person? He can't be the only one in the school with athletic talent..."

"But you saw how great he was on the track field! Can you imagine someone better than that?" Nagisa protested.

"Well, yeah, he was great." Byakuya agreed. "But if you ask me, he seems a little... uptight."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Nagisa inquired.

"Well... he seems to be very theoretical. He doesn't seem to be the kind to let loose and have fun, you know?"

"But that's exactly why I want him on the swim team!" Nagisa insisted. "He's really dedicated once he takes an interest in something, and what he said about swimming... he's totally wrong! Swimming is fun, it's amazing... it's freedom. Everyone should be allowed to experience that feeling! I want Rei-chan to understand that."

Byakuya pondered Nagisa's words for a while in silence. Ryugazaki's opinions on swimming had offended Byakuya to an extent and it had somewhat damaged the boy's image in her eyes, but she couldn't deny his capabilities. He seemed to be quite intelligent, and if his performance on the track field was anything to go by, his physicality wasn't lacking either. He probably wouldn't have too much problem with adapting to the water sport, even if he seemed adamant about not doing so.

To top it off, Nagisa seemed to have made up his mind about getting Rei in the club, and well...

Rei didn't know it yet, but he had no chance of resistance.

"If you say so, Nagi-kun. I'll do what I can to help you out." The girl complied.

"Great!" Nagisa said cheerily. "Just try to be polite to him, and we'll have Rei-chan on the swim team in no time!"

"Why do you assume I'm always rude to new people?" Byakuya sighed.

"Am I wrong?"

"...Let's get back to this Muni guy."

"Masamune."

"Whatever."

* * *

"How're you holding up, Haru?" Makoto asked as he turned around to face the raven-haired teen. They had been sitting at the study desk in Makoto's room, studying nonstop all afternoon. Mr Hasegawa's tests were pretty tough, and they wanted to make sure they had all the information down.

Haruka shrugged in response to his friend's question. He was starting to get pretty tired from all the studying, and Makoto could tell that much without him needing to say anything.

"Well, I think we've studied enough for now." The olive-haired boy said as he stood up and stretched; his body ached from sitting at his desk without moving for so long. "Dinner should start in a few minutes, how about we head down?"

"Sure." Haruka responded. The two boys stood up and left the room before heading down the stairs. They could already smell Mrs Tachibana's cooking- Makoto's mom was making dinner, and she was an excellent cook.

"Haru-nii!" The twins chorused as the two teens walked into the dining room. They ran up to Haru and started tugging at his shirt, trying to get his attention. They hadn't gotten to speak to him the whole time he was here, since he and Makoto had been studying. Naturally, they were eager to talk to him now.

"Haru-nii, when are you gonna come back and finish that video game?" Ren asked insistently.

"Yeah! We've been waiting for so long! We can't beat that boss!" Ran pouted.

"Looks like they missed you, Haru." Makoto chuckled. Haruka just gave him an exasperated look as the twins continued bombarding him with questions while they made their way to the dining table.

"Ah, Haruka-kun. It's been a while." Mr Tachibana smiled as he greeted the boy from his seat at the head of the table. He had always been surprised that the quiet lad had ended up as his son's best friend; but as time went by he had started understanding the almost strange yet dynamic relationship the two shared. Haruka depended on Makoto, and Makoto did the same in his own way. Theirs was a friendship that was hard to come by, and Isami was glad that his son had found a good companion that he could trust.

"Good evening, Isami-ojisan. Kotetsu-obasan." Haruka bowed slightly as he greeted his friend's parents before taking a seat at the table. Makoto sat down next to him as the twins took the seats opposite them.

"It's good to have you here again, Haruka-kun." Kotetsu said cheerily as she walked out of the kitchen and set down the dish she had made onto the table. "Have you been doing well?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Haruka responded politely. He actually rather liked Makoto's family- since his own parents were nearly always away for business or other reasons, he spent a good deal of his time with the Tachibanas. Mr and Mrs Tachibana were pretty much his second parents.

"That's good, that's good." Mrs Tachibana said as she removed her apron to hang it back up.

"Ah, I just realized, where's Byakuya-chan?" Isami asked as he passed around the plates and utensils to the twins, who eagerly started setting the table.

"She's staying over at Nagisa's. They had some swim club things to handle." Makoto said.

"Oh yeah, the swim club. How are things going, by the way?" Kotetsu asked as she slid into the seat opposite her husband.

"Well, we haven't really done anything so far." Makoto replied. "We're trying to find a way to get the school to sponsor our registration in an indoor gym to swim at during the off-season, but we need to get achievements for that. There also needs to be 5 swimmers as well, so Byaku-chan and Nagisa are working on recruiting our sixth member."

"Hmm. So there's still quite a lot of work you kids have to do to get this club up and running." Mr Tachibana said thoughtfully.

"Yeah. It's toughest on Haru, though. He's dying to swim already." Makoto said good-naturedly. Haruka just shot him another exasperated look.

"You got sick that day because you went swimming in the cold, right?" Kotetsu tutted reprimandingly. "You really ought to take better care of yourself, Haruka-kun. What if it had been worse?"

"I apologize for making you worry." Haruka said sincerely. Mrs Tachibana had a knack for making people feel guilty when she wanted you to; something Makoto had inherited as well.

"Byaku-nee was really worried about you too, Haru-nii!" Ran commented.

"Hm?"

"Yeah!" Ren added. "She was saying things like how she would be glad to make you feel better by shoving a pole up yo-"

"Your food's getting cold, Ren!" Makoto cut in quickly before his brother could finish the -probably crude- sentence. "You better eat it while it's still hot!"

"Oh!" Ran forgot all about what he had been about to say and started shovelling food into his mouth, an eating habit Byakuya may or may not have been responsible for influencing.

Haruka raised a brow. He had a pretty good guess as to how that sentence ended... It wasn't a pleasant picture.

* * *

"Is that Tama-nee's pink Hello Kitty shirt?" Nagisa asked in shock from his seat at the dining table. His oldest sister, Tamako had been making conversation with Byakuya as they entered the dining room.

Byakuya scowled in embarassment. "It was the only one I could fit in." She mumbled. All of Nagisa's sisters were pretty petite, much like the boy himself. She had never really seen much of them, but she really wished Nagisa had given her a heads up on their small statures when he'd said she could borrow some clothes from one of them. The long, hawaiian-print pants Tamako had lent were practically shorts on her, and they contrasted horribly with the neon pink shirt she was wearing. She felt like a fashion disaster.

Nagisa started laughing. "But Tama-nee uses that as a dress!"

"I'm pretty big for a girl, okay?" Byakuya grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. She had long gotten over her insecurities regarding her masculine size and height, but it was still embarassing to have someone point it out.

"Oh, don't be so mean to your friend, Nagi!" Chie, Nagisa's second sister cut in as she placed the food on the table.

"Yeah; it looks cute on her!" The youngest sister, Minako gushed.

"C-cute?" Byakuya's face turned red. That was an adjective she rarely heard used to describe her. And she would hardly call this hideous excuse of an ensemble 'cute'.

"Doesn't it just?" Tamako said enthusiastically. "I didn't think the dress would work with pants, but I suppose with the right height you could pull it off."

"I-I'm not... it doesn't really..." Byakuya started to protest, but was cut off by the sound of a phone camera snapping a picture. She spun towards Nagisa, who was clutching his phone as he giggled mischievously.

"You delete that right now!" Byakuya yelled, lunging for the phone. The last thing she needed was for Nagisa to show a picture of her in this... thing to everyone.

Nagisa just dodged out of the way and ran to the other side of the dining table. "I can't wait to send this to Mako-chan and Haru-chan!" he jeered.

"Don't you dare-"

"Who are 'Mako-chan' and 'Haru-chan'?" Tamako asked curiously.

"Are they your boyfriends, Byakuya-chan?" Chie added.

"Wh-what?" Byakuya was beyond flustered. "No! And what's with the multiple term?"

"Well, why not?" Minako asked innocently.

Byakuya blanched.

"I'm doing it~" Nagisa said as his thumb came down on the 'send' button that would commence Byakuya's death sentence.

In a last desperate attempt to save her dignity, Byakuya launched herself across the table and tackled Nagisa to the floor. Thankfully, none of the plates or dinnerware were victimised by her impulsive action. They both went crashing down and started grappling for the cell phone, looking a lot like two five year-old girls fighting over a doll.

"Just give it here!"

"But they gotta see this!"

"Nagi-kun, I will castrate you!"

"What does castrate mean?"

"That doesn't matter! Just give it-"

When she finally got the phone from Nagisa's stubborn hands, she flipped the screen back up, facing her. To the girl's absolute horror, the message had been sent.

THE MESSAGE HAD BEEN SENT.

Byakuya moaned and fell face-first onto the floor. Her life was over. She was never gonna live this down. She was going to have to move to a different country. A different planet. Maybe raise an army of martians to destroy Earth to get rid of all evidence concerning that horrible picture.

Nagisa was rolling on the floor with laughter, feeling no remorse whatsoever at what he had done. Byakuya was too busy moping to kill him.

"Well, she's taking it rather well." Minako said cheerily.

"I wonder what her boyfriends think of her picture?" Chie mused thoughtfully.

* * *

"...What the heck did Nagisa do to Byaku-chan?!" Makoto exclaimed as he stared at his phone in a mix of horror and fascination.

"Torture." Haruka responded plainly, though his eyebrows were raised in surprise. That was a very loud shirt- he never knew that such a bright shade of pink even existed.

The pants were alright, though.

* * *

AN: The names of Nagisa's sisters were completely made up; I never realized how little we really know about the cast's families until now OTL. I sorta wish we had more Tachibana family scenes in the anime. They all just seem like such a nice family, they probably played a huge role in Makoto's upbringing- the sweetie. I also know I didn't include Nagisa's dad here, but I couldn't really think of a way to fit him in. Plus, his dad strikes me as the type who isn't home often- with four kids and no mother (that we know of), he's probably out working a lot. Also, I highly doubt a dad would let his son get put in makeup and dresses, which Nagisa's sisters apparently did to him quite often when they were younger, so... xD

Shout out to Strange-fighter for following and faving this fic, and to volley-14-nerd for adding this story to your alerts! Thank you both, and I hope you guys stick around for the rest of this story!

See you guys next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

"No luck. He wouldn't say yes." Nagisa said sadly, his head bowed and arms dangling weakly as he stood at Haruka's desk in the upperclassman's classroom. Makoto was temporarily sitting in the chair in front of Haruka's desk, while Byakuya stood next to Nagisa with a small smirk on her face. Haruka had been making a rough sketch of yet another swim club recruitment poster before Nagisa had come up to them- it was excellent, as usual.

"I don't think Rei-chan likes water." Nagisa continued.

"We don't need anyone like that. Don't let him in the water." Haruka responded curtly.

Byakuya let out a short bark of laughter. She had figured Haruka would have responded to that new piece of information that way; the boy's love for water was amusing, to say the least.

"If you say that, nobody will join!" Nagisa cried, slamming his hands on Haruka's table and coming even closer to the boy's face. "We'll have to spend all winter lifting weights and jogging! Are you okay with that, Haru-chan? Are you really okay with that?" The blonde emphasized.

Haruka's face had grown more and more pale as Nagisa went on, uncomfortable at having the boy all up in his personal space as well as the questions he was being bombarded with.

"...No." Haruka relented, turning his head away from Nagisa's intense gaze. That boy really was good at swaying others to his will.

Nagisa straightened up, satisfied at Haru's response. He placed his chin in his hand in contemplation.

"It looks like we really are gonna have to get Ama-chan and Bya-kun to strip down for us." He mused.

Byakuya smacked him upside his head.

"What?" Nagisa whined. "You're gonna be swimming anyway, Bya-kun! What's the problem?"

"You know very well what the problem is!" She scowled.

"That won't happen." Makoto cut in immediately. "Miss Ama-chan said she would never put on a swimsuit."

Plus, he'd die before he let Byakuya get used for that sort of advertising.

"Well, then we reverse it!" Nagisa said.

"Reverse it?" Makoto asked confusedly.

Nagisa placed his hands on Haruka's desk again. "If you join, you get to show off your swimsuit to Miss Ama-chan and Bya-kun."

"Does anyone want that?" Makoto deadpanned. That was possibly worse than the first suggestion.

"Why would someone want that in the first place?" Byakuya added, her brow twitching.

"Well, then they'll get to show off their bodies to girls! Guys love that kind of stuff!"

"Guys are stupid."

Haruka seemed to want to jot down Nagisa's suggestion, but Makoto stopped his hand immediately. "Don't write that down!" He said exasperatedly.

"Ahem."

They all felt the surrounding temperature drop as they recognized the owner of that voice. They turned around slowly to face Miss Amakata, who was standing behind them with an extremely disturbing smile on her face.

"Excuse me, boys..." she started dangerously, the gleam in her eyes growing sharper.

Nagisa and Makoto gulped in fear.

"We're sorry!" They practically screamed.

* * *

"Hey, Haru?" Makoto asked casually.

The addressed boy didn't seem to respond and kept his gaze fixed on the ocean as he and his two friends walked on home, but Makoto could tell that his friend was listening.

"It sounds like we'll be entering tournaments. Are you really okay with that? Even if... you end up racing Rin again, and beating him?" Makoto continued. Ever since the night he had found out about the race that Haru had had with Rin in middle school, that was the one question that had been bugging him. Was Haru really alright with joining the swim club if it meant facing his old friend? Was he afraid to hurt Rin again?

The question caught Haruka's attention. He turned to face his best friend's worried gaze, surprise evident on his normally passive face. Makoto knew? And judging from Byakuya's solemn silence, she did as well.

He forced his expression back to normal and faced the ocean, which was bathed in the light of the setting sun.

"Who told you that?" He asked tonelessly. He should have figured that his friends would have found out sooner or later.

"We ran into Coach Sasabe the other day." Makoto explained.

In his mind's eye, Haruka recalled how Rin had looked back then, tears in his eyes as he sat on the floor in defeat. Haruka had been utterly shocked at the boy's reaction; it had been the first time he had ever seen Rin so...vulnerable. Before he could help his friend up, however, Rin's expression hardened and he just stood up and stalked off, not even glancing back at Haruka once. And Haru had let him walk away.

The raven-haired boy almost always thought about that day, and how things might have been different if he had just reached out to Rin anyway- if he had just gone after his friend. But would it have made a difference? Was it, perhaps, better that he hadn't run after Rin?

Heaven only knew.

"It's in the past." He said simply, though he still couldn't bring himself to look Makoto in the eye. If he did, his friend would see what he hadn't said, know the regrets he held. Haruka wouldn't- couldn't- place the burden of that knowledge on him; Makoto didn't need to worry.

"Besides..." Haruka continued, gaze softening slightly. "He's swimming again. That's enough."

Byakuya turned her eyes to Haruka's face. The way he had said that... he had been worried, hadn't he? Worried that he had hurt Rin so badly the boy would have quit swimming altogether. She could sense his relief at the fact that he hadn't inflicted damage of that extent unto Rin. Haruka really wasn't concerned that Rin had won their second race. No...he was glad. Truly, genuinely glad for his friend's victory.

So why didn't Rin feel the same way?

Makoto looked somewhat surprised at Haruka's answer, but slowly smiled at the boy. He could obviously sense Haru's feelings as well, though the sapphire-eyed boy didn't show it. It didn't matter to Mako, though- if his friend was happy, then he was happy as well.

Byakuya just followed Haruka's gaze and stared at the sun setting over the ocean as well. The sky was bathed in oranges and reds, almost as if it were on fire. The seagulls soared in the burning sky, freely gliding through the air. And the ocean... The tides pushed and pulled, pushed and pulled- a rhythmic pattern that never failed to bring a sense of peace to any passerby.

As she gazed at the lovely scenery, she vaguely recalled a memory from a day many years ago. A day not too different from this one; a day when they were still innocent children living without a care or worry in the world.

* * *

"It's so pretty!" The 11-year old Nagisa said cheerily as he and his friends stood on the rooftop of the Iwatobi Swim Club. Practice was out, and they were just happily gazing at the sunset as they waited for their parents to come and pick them up.

"I know, right?" Rin said happily. "Did you know that each sunset is different? So, each sunset you see is actually the first time you've seen it!"

"But wouldn't that also make it the last time you see it?" Makoto mused thoughtfully.

"Well, yeah. There's that." Rin laughed sheepishly.

"But that's what makes it special." Haruka commented.

"Yep! Got that right, Nanase!"

For a moment, they all fell into silence as they simply gazed out at the scenery.

"...Sunsets are sad." Byakuya suddenly said, quietly.

"Huh? Why do you say that?" Nagisa asked curiously.

"It reminds you that the day is over. That it can't go on forever." Byakuya said despondently. "The light goes away, and then night comes. Everything is always so quiet and dark at night..."

"But sunsets also mean that you've had another great day!" Rin cut in suddenly. "The light doesn't disappear forever, and then when the next day arrives, you can come out and have fun again! Sunsets tell you that a new day awaits you tomorrow; what's so sad about that?"

Byakuya was taken back at Rin's passionate response. His point of view had intrigued her- his opinion was so different from hers. The sunset brought him hope, while for her it brought sadness. He saw the world in a more positive light- in all its happiness and beauty- and what he said made Byakuya ponder for a long moment.

"Really..." she said thoughtfully, as she stared into the setting sun, replaying Rin's words over and over in her head. Eventually, she turned back to the crimson-haired boy and gave him a small smile. "Thanks Rin-kun. I think... I'll be able to look forward to sunsets now."

"Heh. No problem! That's what friends are for, right? To cheer each other up!" Rin replied, grinning as he threw his arms over all his friends' necks.

That made all of them smile; even Haru's lips gave a small quirk. The five of them returned their gazes to the beautiful sky, and just remained that way in a comfortable silence as the daylight slowly faded away.

* * *

'Can you still see that, Rin-kun? Can you still see a new beginning in the sunset? It was thanks to you that I- that all of us- learned to see the light that would come after the darkness. Please tell me that you still feel the same way. Please...'

* * *

On the other side of town, Rin Matsuoka stood alone on the rooftop of Samezuka Academy. As he stared at the red sky, he muttered to himself.

"A new day..."

What a joke.

* * *

Back on the track field of Iwatobi High, Rei Ryugazaki prepared himself for yet another go at the pole vault.

"Bar height: 4.30 metres. Set takeoff speed to v. Leave a, acceleration unchanged." He muttered methodically to himself. He had been through the formula in his head several times over, making sure that the results would be as he wanted them to be.

"But factor in the potential energy from any shifts in the pole's centre of gravity..." he continued as he readied the pole in his hands. As soon as he was ready, he sprinted down the runway.

As the pole hit the landing pit, he shot up into the air. As expected; his formulas were working out perfectly so far...

And then something unexpected happened- a strong wind blew past.

Rei took a sharp intake of breath as he recognized what this would do to jeopardize his jump immediately. This interference utterly disrupted all the methodical calculations he had planned out.

His jump over the pole failed as his body came into contact with it. He fell back onto the landing mat, the pole clattering onto him. The bespectacled boy grunted as he sat up, moving the pole off his torso. His arm hurt slightly, but thankfully he wasn't too badly hurt. The boy's heavy breathing lightned up slightly- he was lucky to not have received any major injuries from the faulty vault.

"Ryugazaki." His gym teacher called out as he neared the boy's position. "Are you running calculations in your head before jumping?"

Rei didn't answer. The teacher knew the answer as well as he did.

"Your form is perfect." The teacher continued. "But that's all you have. You're too focused on the technical side."

Rei was alarmed by this statement. His mistake was simply because of another factor that he hadn't accounted for- what was the teacher saying?

"But I-"

"I understand that's your style, but you're not going to improve at this rate." The teacher cut in bluntly.

The bluenette was taken aback by the teacher's words. Improve? What was there to improve? His calculations were near- if not, absolutely- precise! Sports depended on meticulous calculations, did they not? Without proper estimation or timing, no one would be able to do well. So why...

Rei grit his teeth and clenched his fists. For once, he didn't understand what the teacher was saying.

And that bothered him more than anything else.

* * *

AN: I realize I alternate between happy chapter and serious chapter a lot. I'm sorry if it's depressing, haha! Pretty short chapter, I know, so I think I'll make up for it by posting the next one on Monday before the usual Wednesday and Saturday updates too. Just a heads up- it's gonna be sorta fluffy again.

Yes, I have the next chapter prepared already. I'm quite a few chapters ahead, actually. But I just like posting them one at a time because I have a habit of re-reading and re-writing chapters... Also because I'm a douche like that. XD

Loads of thanks to introvertedHermit again for faving this fic, Shizuka Kitsune for reviewing, and Sutekina mia for adding this story to your favourites and alerts! Thanks for your support! *showers you all with cyber cookies*

See ya'll next water time!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

I have good news for everyone today!" Kou said enthusiastically as she spoke to the four other members of the swim club. They were all sitting by the pool after school, having come here after Kou had summoned them.

"Did you manage to get the new barbeque joint in town to supply our lunches for the rest of our lives?" Byakuya asked hopefully.

"No."

"Well, I can always dream."

"Anyway..." Kou continued, clapping her hands together before placing them on her hips. "Amazingly enough, I was able to schedule a joint practice session with Samezuka Academy!"

"You did?" Byakuya straightened up immediately. Samezuka Academy...

"What?! For real?" Nagisa exclaimed as he and his friends all exchanged excited glances.

Well, Haruka just remained stone-faced as always, but they knew he was pretty stoked about the news as well.

"Did you talk to Rin?" Makoto inquired.

That made Kou's triumphant expression fall somewhat, but she regained her composure.

"My brother won't listen to me, so I went straight to their captain!" Kou declared.

"Really..." Byakuya said thoughtfully. "I'm impressed. How'd you manage to get an audience with the captain of one of Japan's best swim teams?"

"It was easy!" Kou responded, puffing up with pride at Byakuya's praise- that was the first time she had received a compliment from the older girl. "I just went straight ahead and asked!"

That wasn't a lie. The swim team captain- Kou had found out that his name was Seijuuro Mikoshiba- was the redhead that she had met that day when she went to Samezuka to find Rin. Since she had already been acquainted with him, it was easy enough to talk to the guy, even if it had been a bit of a strange conversation...

* * *

"Joint practice?" Seijuuro asked, a stony expression on his face. He looked absolutely serious, and took a step towards the girl.

"U-uhm... yes?" Kou peeped out nervously. Had she made a mistake by asking?

"That sounds great!" The redhead suddenly grinned and grabbed Kou's hands enthusiastically. "Let's do it!"

Kou sweatdropped at the boy's sudden change of demeanour. That was the first time she got the hint that all the attractive men she was surrounded with weren't quite normal.

* * *

"That's our super manager!" Nagisa cheered. "Gou-cha-"

"It's Kou." The girl corrected automatically.

"That means we have permission to swim in Samezuka's indoor pool now!" Makoto enthused, grinning at Haruka.

"Great! I was getting sick of breaking and entering!" Byakuya said happily.

"Don't you break into Haru-chan's house nearly every day?" Nagisa asked.

"That's not the point."

"But..." Kou interrupted hesitantly. "Since it's a joint practice, we're gonna need to bring 5 members at a minimum."

"...Always the 5 member rule. Always." Byakuya sighed, deflated.

"That means we have to recruit a new member before the practice." Nagisa mused. "Especially since Gou-chan used her sex appeal to get us this chance."

Kou let out a yell and turned red at Nagisa's implication.

"I didn't use my sex appeal!" She denied vehemently.

"Huh? You didn't?" Nagisa asked.

"Of course I didn't!"

"Why does it always come down to sex appeal for you?" Byakuya sighed.

"Well, what other explanation is there?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe I went up and asked nicely?"

"Isn't that using your sex appeal?"

"We need to have another long talk on what sex appeal applies to, Nagi-kun."

Makoto and Haruka just sat by the sidelines as the other three conversed. Makoto sweatdropped at the topic they were discussing- it wasn't a subject he was very comfortable with. Haruka on the other hand just gazed at nothing in particular, deep in thought.

* * *

Rin paused for a moment to catch his breath as he ran laps with his teammates during their warm-up. His roommate, Aiichirou Nitori had said something to him during their rounds that had caught his attention.

"No one told me there would be a joint practice." He said, somewhat annoyed. New to the team or not, he would really like to be kept up-to-date on the going-ons in the swim club.

Nitori jogged up to Rin's side, pausing and bending over briefly to catch his breath. Samezuka Academy's training regimen was rather strenuous.

"The captain made the call," The lavender-haired boy said, panting. "Your little sister's a part of the Iwatobi Swim Club, right?"

Rin scowled slightly at the mention of the other swim club, but Nitori contined.

"Their members are Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki and Byakuya Shion. The boys all have girly names-"

Here the younger boy paused, noticing the fierce glare Rin was sending his way.

"...Sorry." Nitori apologized. He'd nearly let his tongue get away with him as he forgot for a moment that his senpai had a girly name as well.

"How do you know?" Rin demanded, his glare never faltering.

"Ah, I participated in that tournament." Nitori explained, referring to the relay Rin and the others had taken part in all those years ago. He recalled how different the Matsuoka boy had looked back then, grinning and joking around with his friends. "I believe that was your last race as a grade-schooler, Matsuoka-senpai. My team lost in the prelims..."

"But that race was amazing to watch!" The underclassman enthused, eyes sparkling with admiration.

Rin just looked away and grit his teeth. Without warning, he just continued his run while Nitori exclaimed in surprise and jogged to catch up.

He didn't want to be reminded of those times now. Haru was a rival now, not a teammate. Remembering those days would only hold him back.

Rin kept repeating that mantra to himself as he finished his laps. By the time it was time to actually swim, he cut through the water with such determination and ferocity his opponent barely stood a chance.

He was better than Haruka Nanase- he would make sure of that.

* * *

Haruka was feeding the cats in his neighbourhood that evening. As he was crouching down in his backyard and petting one of the felines, he let out a loud sneeze that scared them all away.

'Someone's talking about me.' He thought to himself as he sniffed.

...He dearly hoped it wasn't Byakuya cursing him to the depths of hell again.

* * *

Rei Ryugazaki stretched his arms as he stood at the train stop he had gotten off at. He was preparing himself for his usual morning run, but just as he was about to take off, he heard the sound of panting and footsteps jogging up to the station.

"Wait, Rei-chan!" An annoying voice he was- rather begrudgingly- getting used to rang out.

"Man... I'm feeling a little sore already." A female voice Rei recognized as belonging to Byakuya Shion panted as she caught up as well.

"You're getting fat, Bya-kun."

"Shut your whore mouth."

The bespectacled boy sighed and pushed up his glasses. He was getting rather annoyed at his blonde classmate's insistence that he join the swim team. Hazuki was very persistent though; he'd give him that much. And as for his senior... he was really starting to question how this girl was the top Biology student of her year. It was almost insulting for his own academic skills to be compared to that of this... delinquent.

"What do you two want?" Rei asked exasperatedly.

"Can we run with you?" Nagisa piped up excitedly.

The bluenette honestly contemplated saying "no" just to see what they would do if he did, but then he figured that they would just follow him anyway. He sighed.

"If you can keep up." Rei said, before beginning his run without waiting for them to catch up.

"Okay!" Nagisa cheered, running after his classmate.

"... I really need to get back in shape." Byakuya groaned as she followed after the two underclassmen.

Really, the things she did for friendship.

* * *

"This brings back memories. I used to run to the swim club with Haru-chan like this back in grade school." Nagisa commented as he gazed out over the wide paddy fields as they ran. If there was one thing really great about the small town of Iwatobi, it was the loveliness of the nature. Pollution and the like were kept at a minimum, preserving the natural beauty of the place.

"He used to play it cool and say 'If you can keep up.'" Nagisa continued, imitating Haru's voice.

"That's just like him." Byakuya snorted, her breathing growing slightly heavy from the run. Her stamina definitely wasn't up to par.

"Who's this 'Haru-chan'?" Rei asked. The two friends gave a start as they realized the boy had taken a bend while they kept running straight. They had to back up a bit and turn back onto the right path.

"Oh, you go this way?" Nagisa said as he caught back up with his blue-haired classmate.

"What do you want?" Rei asked, annoyed.

"What do I want? I want you to join the swim club!" Nagisa said simply.

"Shouldn't that have been obvious after the last time, Ryugazaki-san?" Byakuya joked lightly. The boy just scoffed.

"We really need another member before our joint practice." Nagisa continued.

"Why does it have to be me?" The Ryugazaki boy shot back. He really thought that they would have given up on recruiting him after the last attempt- he thought he'd made his stand very clear. Either his blonde classmate was really dense, or he was just persistent.

Rei guessed it was the latter.

"Well, you see...um..." Byakuya trailed off. She honestly had no idea why they were doing this- the only reason she was here now was because Nagisa had called her up at an ungodly hour in the morning and told her to meet him at the train stop.

"You don't even have a legit reason?" Rei asked, somewhat miffed.

"Of course we do! Nagi-kun, tell him!" Byakuya said, silently high-fiving herself for the great save.

Nagisa thought about it for a while.

"Because you're a boy with a girly name?" He tried.

Byakuya blanched. "That's the best you could come up with?" She whispered.

"That's your reason?" Rei exclaimed, stopping in his tracks and turning around to face the blonde.

"Yeah."

Rei placed his face in his hand. This guy...

"But the main reason is because you looked beautiful." Nagisa added.

"Huh?" Rei was startled. He certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"When you were pole vaulting, your jump looked really beautiful, Rei-chan!" Nagisa repeated enthusiastically.

Byakuya smiled. That was better.

"That's right, Ryugazaki-san. Your form was flawless; there aren't many who can pull that off. You were very impressive." She added honestly.

Rei was absolutely flustered at the praise he was receiving from his two schoolmates, and quickly averted his gaze. He pushed up his glasses in an attempt to look nonchalant when in actuality, he was covering up his embarassment.

"Well... I was just following theory and calculation." Rei said, his fists clenching slightly as he recalled the words his teacher had spoken to him yesterday. He was rather bitter from the reprimand that he had received, and the words rang though his head; clear as day. He still didn't know what he could do to improve himself, if what his teacher said was true...

"That's not something everybody can do. I suck at that stuff." Nagisa laughed sheepishly. It was true; he was terrible with anything to do with numbers and the like. Rei was somewhat taken aback at the boy's remark... was Hazuki trying to reassure him?

"So I want you to use theory and calculation to look good swimming!" Nagisa continued, determined to get the boy to agree to join this time.

Byakuya wanted to add on to Nagisa's comment, but found that she couldn't. Theory and calculation... in swimming? It didn't quite match up in her head.

"That's impossible." Rei said simply. "A swimmer has to flap his arms and legs underwater while struggling to break the surface for a gasp of air...You can't look good while doing that!" He shouted to the sky at the end, making Byakuya and Nagisa jump again.

"Really?" Nagisa asked, regaining his composure first. "But Haru-chan's a beautiful swimmer."

"Hm?" Rei asked, returning back to his serious state. That caught his attention.

Byakuya smirked. "That's right. You clearly haven't seen real swimming yet." She said, almost challengingly. If Rei was the sort of person she thought he was, his curiousity would be piqued even further at the notion of a challenge.

Rei raised an eyebrow at the two. Their statements had indeed intrigued him, but there was no way he was going to let them know that- he was far too prideful to let it show.

"Haru-chan again?" He said nonchalantly, before he continued running again.

"Hey, wait!" Nagisa cried out as he ran to catch up with his classmate. Byakuya just sighed, but she smirked as she began to run as well.

Rei was definitely hooked, alright.

* * *

Nagisa and Byakuya stood before Haruka and Makoto at the entrance of the school. They were both hunched over, hands on their knees as they panted heavily. The run had taken quite a lot out of them, and they could barely greet their two friends without keeling over.

"...What are you doing?" Haruka asked blankly as he stared at his two friends, who were dressed in their sports uniforms and drenched in sweat.

"H-Haru-chan. Mako-chan." Nagisa greeted breathlessly. Byakuya just nodded once in acknowledgement; she looked like she was about to collapse.

Before either Haru or Mako could ask them what they had been up to, the sound of footsteps coming from behind Haruka caught their attention. They all turned around to see the blunette from the track field the other day- Rei Ryugazaki- approaching them.

"Oh, Rei-chan." Nagisa said in surprise. The bespectacled boy barely spared him a glance as he faced Haruka.

"You're Haru-chan-san?" He asked directly.

Despite her tired state, Byakuya doubled over in laughter. That was a mistake though- now she could barely breathe.

"Don't put '-chan' and '-san' on my name." Haruka said, annoyed. Who did this guy think he was, addressing him like that?

"Is there something up?" Nagisa asked as he stood up straighter. He also stepped on Byakuya's foot to get her to stop laughing. It worked wonders- the girl yelped and shut up immediately.

"I'm willing to participate in your joint practice as a trial member." Rei said, earning a surprised glance from everyone.

"What? Really?!" Nagisa and Byakuya both exclaimed joyfully.

"But only on one condition." The boy interrupted, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"I swear, if this is anything like that 'pretty-up-the-pool' condition you can kiss my- OW!" Byakuya was cut off by yet another stomp on the foot from Nagisa.

"What is it?" Nagisa asked, ignoring the girl's quiet cursing.

"I won't do any swimming." Rei said curtly.

That surprised them even more. Was the guy serious?

"I don't think that's-"

"Fine with us." Haruka cut Byakuya off monotonously, turning away and walking into the school before anyone could react.

Makoto chuckled sheepishly as they all watched the stoic boy with perplexed expressions on their faces. "He only cares about being able to swim, that's all."

"Yeah, that's Haru-chan for you." Nagisa said, turning back to Rei. "But don't let it get to you, Rei-chan! I knew you'd come around!"

"It wasn't because of your pleading. I simply wish to observe." Rei said simply, walking into the school compound as well.

"Hey! Wait up, Rei-chan!"

"Do not call me that."

"But Rei-chan-"

Makoto laughed at the two underclassmen who made their way to their classes. "Quite a pair they make, eh, Byaku-chan?"

"They'll be best friends, I'm sure." She responded sarcastically, making both of them laugh. It was rather difficult to imagine the two boys ever getting on friendly terms with each other; they were practically polar opposites.

"Well, we'd best head to class too. Let's go, then." Makoto said, turning to follow the other three that had already entered. He had walked several paces ahead before he realized with a start that Byakuya wasn't beside him. He immediately turned around to see that the girl still hadn't moved from her spot.

"Byaku-chan?" Makoto called out confusedly.

"Ehehe... uhm, Mako, this is sorta awkward, but..." the girl forced out a sheepish laugh. "I sorta can't move my legs...?"

"What?" Makoto blanched.

"Nagi-kun stomped on my feet, and my legs were already pretty sore from the run, so... they're kinda numb..." she trailed off, embarassed. She felt pretty pathetic.

Makoto just smiled sympathetically as he walked back over to the girl. He removed his green backpack and handed it to her.

"You think you can carry this for me?" He asked.

"Uh, sure?" She replied confusedly, taking her friend's backpack and sliding it onto her shoulder over her own bag.

Makoto nodded in thanks before he knelt on the floor and turned his back towards her.

"Get on." He said, glancing back over his shoulder at the girl.

"What?" She exclaimed, shocked at what he was implying she should do. "A-are you really serious?"

"Just do it, Byaku-chan. We need to get to class; Haru's probably waiting for us."

"But I-"

Before she could finish her protest, however, Makoto just grabbed onto her legs and pulled her forth. Byakuya yelped as she fell onto the boy's back, hands automatically wrapping around his neck to steady herself. Makoto grunted as he pulled Byakuya's legs to his side and lifted her off the ground, starting the walk into the school compound.

"Makoto Tachibana, are you insane?!" Byakuya exclaimed as her grip around his neck tightened. She knew she wasn't exactly light, and was increasingly worried that her weight would be too much for Makoto to handle.

Plus, all the students were staring as they walked by.

"It's alright, Byaku-chan." Makoto assured, his face flushing slightly upon noticing the close contact between him and the girl. "I won't drop you."

"But I'm fat." Byakuya whined. "Even Nagi-kun said so."

"Does that bother you?" Makoto inquired. He was rather surprised- he didn't think that Byakuya was concerned about trivial things like her weight- she always seemed comfortable with her body... though now it would seem that she wasn't quite as confident as she made herself out to be.

"I can't exactly fit into a size zero Versace dress- nor am I petite, in case you haven't noticed, Mako." She scoffed. "Sorry if I'm heavy..."

"Your weight is fine!" Makoto insisted. "Besides, I think you're great just the way you are."

That made Byakuya blush fiercely and she ducked her head, effectively hiding her face. Did he have to make such an embarassing comment?

Unbeknownst to her, Makoto's face had also turned a very similar shade of crimson. He didn't retract his statement, though.

"...Thanks, Mako." Byakuya mumbled out, her words barely audible.

"Any time, Byaku-chan." Makoto said, smiling softly as his hold on the girl's legs tightened slightly. No, he wouldn't drop her- of that Byakuya was sure. Makoto had never failed her before, and she doubted he ever would. She cared for him dearly, and longed to be able to protect him just as he did her. He was her best friend, after all- though, she had to wonder why her heartbeat suddenly quickened...

It took her all of two seconds to connect the dots, and her eyes widened when she recognized what it was she was feeling. It was the same as that time when Haru had hugged her when she was a kid.

She had a crush on him. She had a crush on Makoto Tachibana.

...

She was so screwed.

* * *

AN: Hooray for revelations! And for the canon-ization of more Rei screentime! Rei is a really beautiful character, really- and not just because of his love for beauty and all, haha! His development in the series is a really big running factor for the others' growths as well, especially for Rin. He's just amazing that way. Butterfly love, yo!

Also, guys, I sorta need your help. Ya'll know how in episode 6 the guys all play a game in the abandoned lighthouse? Yeah, well I'm sorta stuck on trying to figure out what question Byakuya gets asked. Soooo, it's reader to the rescue time! Any suggestions on what I should have Byakuya do? Cmon guys, I'm at writer's block of sorts now, send help, haha!

Major thanks to NotSauron (Really great to see you around again!) For faving, following and reviewing this fic, as well as adding my profile to your fav authors list! Also, sorry I failed to realize that you also added my profile to your alerts and fav list, Sutekina mia! Pardon my ignorance, and thank you both for your support! *showers you guys with digital confetti*

See ya'll next chapter!


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

"Wow, indoor pools are so nice!" Nagisa said enthusiastically as he looked around the large indoor pool of Samezuka Academy. The members of the swim club, plus Rei, had arrived at the other school for the joint swimming practice that day, and they were still rather awed at Samezuka's great facilities.

"It certainly looks a lot more impressive in the daytime." Byakuya said, agreeing with the younger boy. The details of the large structure could be made out much more clearly in the daylight compared to the last time they were here- a swimming powerhouse, indeed. The Shion girl turned towards the blunette who had come along with them, hoping to try one last time to talk him into joining them. She was rather interested to see how he would do at the sport.

"So, you sure you don't wanna swim, Ryugazaki-san?" She asked.

"Positive." The boy responded, pushing his glasses up. "I wish to be sure that my skills will be put to good use first."

"Uh, okay..." Byakuya relented. The guy was rather prideful, wasn't he? But then again, given his capabilities, he sort of had a right to be. She really did hope that the Ryugazaki boy's coming here today would be enough to convince him to officially join them.

Plus, she couldn't wait to see the look on his face once he saw Haru swim. She let herself smirk a little at the thought- he was gonna be blown away, alright.

Returning her gaze to the Olympic-sized pool, her nerves decided to be a pain in the ass and they kicked in again. The smirk on her face faded as her heartbeat started accelerating.

She was going to be swimming today. Really, really swimming; and with the students of Samezuka too. It wasn't even a real competition, but still... it felt a lot like it. She honestly doubted herself- what if she slowed the others down? What if she got too stressed? What if she got all emotional like the last time?

A hand on her shoulder made her yell in surprise. She whipped around immediately to see her friends looking at her with confused expressions on their faces.

"W-what?" She asked, her face turning red from embarassment as she regained her composure. Makoto had been the one who had touched her shoulder, and he still didn't remove his hand as he stared worriedly at her.

Dammit. He looked so freaking adorable when he did that. This wasn't helping her already quick heart rate.

"You alright, Byaku-chan?" Makoto asked.

"You're really wound up, aren't you?" Nagisa added, tilting his head to the side.

"Huh? N-no, not at all, whatever gave you that idea?" she said, laughing rather unconvincingly. She was rather glad Nagisa had cut in when he did- that way she could avoid looking at Mako when she answered.

"You jumped six feet in the air when Makoto-senpai tapped your shoulder." Kou stated matter-of-factly.

"No I didn't!"

"Your face is red too." Haruka commented.

"Do you have a fever?" Makoto asked in concern.

"No, I'm fi-"

But Byakuya was cut off when Makoto placed a hand on her forehead and leaned closer, trying to check her temperature.

Byakuya yelped again and took several steps back quickly, breathing heavily.

The others all stared at her again.

The dark-haired girl took a few calming breaths to steady herself before clearing her throat and answering.

"I'm perfectly fine. Thank you." She said, wearing a perfectly neutral expression.

All of them sweatdropped.

* * *

"I really should go shopping for a new swimsuit soon." Byakuya muttered as she removed her sports uniform and revealed the black kneeskin she was wearing under her clothes. She'd been using the thing for years now, and it was starting to get a little worn out. They also barely touched her knees, since she had hit her growth spurt limit only last year.

"We could go sometime soon," Makoto said as he stretched his arms. Both he and Haru had taken off their shirts as well and were dressed in their swimsuits, doing a bit of stretching before the swim. "I need to pick up one or two for myself as well."

"Of course you do. That orange swimsuit is hideous." She replied jokingly. Ever since she'd discovered her crush on Makoto, she always got a weird feeling in her stomach when she talked with the boy. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been back when she had liked Haru- she had barely been able to talk to that guy normally- though it was still enough to make her uncomfortable. She just wanted to be able to converse with the boy like she normally did, without feeling like she was gonna throw up from nervousness.

Plus, she really needed to stop noticing how his body was in such great shape. Being a hormonal teenage girl sucked.

"They're not that bad!" Makoto protested.

"They are quite loud." Haruka added.

"Not you too, Haru." Makoto complained.

"Well, you pull it off somewhat. Barely, but you pull it off."

"That isn't very encouraging, Byaku-chan."

"Was it supposed to be?"

Makoto sighed, and decided to revert back to the topic at hand. "Anyway, Haru. Do you need to pick up a new swimsuit too?"

"Maybe." The boy responded.

"I doubt it. I think you have at least three pairs in your closet, Haru-kun." Byakuya said jokingly.

"Five." He corrected.

"What?"

"I have five pairs."

Byakuya blanched while Makoto just laughed. Haruka just looked unamused and somewhat perplexed at their reactions. Had he said something funny?

As the three of them conversed idly, Kou stood by the sidelines as she ogled all the muscular men in the indoor pool.

'Easy to see they're from a champion school,' she thought to herself as she swooned. 'But ours are just as good!' She blushed as she looked at the fit figures of Haruka and Makoto. For two guys who hadn't been swimming since middle school, they were in excellent shape. She vaguely noted that Byakuya was pretty well-toned as well, but she hardly registered that fact as she continued staring at all the males.

"Hey," a voice Kou had become familiar with suddenly called out, catching everyone's attention. They turned around to see the tall redheaded figure of Seijuuro Mikoshiba, the captain of Samezuka's swim team. He grinned as he approached them. "Thanks for coming!"

The six of them smiled- well, except Haru- and they bowed towards the captain. "Thank you very much!" They said gratefully. And indeed they were; it wasn't every day another school got to train with the swim team of such an impressive academy.

"No problem." Seijuuro responded humbly before turning to Haruka. "You're Nanase-kun, right?"

The stoic boy nodded in confirmation. Seijuuro seemed impressed at this and smiled as he continued appraisingly. "You won a bunch of regional tournaments in grade school!"

"Yeah..." Haruka responded. He was quite used to being praised for his swimming talent, but since he never really cared about his achievements, they never really mattered to him. That didn't mean he didn't appreciate it, though. He did, but just not much.

"You may not remember, but when you won the Iwatobi regional, I came in second. I still remember how you beat me on the 50m turn. Left me in the dust, you did." He said admiringly. Haruka must have left quite an impression on him for the older boy to remember that incident so many years ago; though it wasn't surprising- Haruka's swimming was absolutely unique. It was difficult for anyone who had seen him in action to forget what a sight the Nanase boy made.

"And you..." Mikoshiba said suddenly, turning to face Byakuya.

"Uhm, yeah?" The girl responded nervously. The captain of one of Japan's best swim teams was talking to her, and Byakuya couldn't help but feel somewhat meek in his presence.

"You're Byakuya Shion, isn't that right?" When the girl nodded, he grinned. "I thought you looked familiar; you and your brother won quite a few tournaments back then. Really admired your mom, by the way; Mikasa Shion was a fantastic swimmer." Here, he sobered up a bit. "I'm sorry about her passing; losing a parent can't easy."

Byakuya was surprised for a moment, but smiled thinly and bowed her head politely. "Thank you for your regards. I am glad my mother left such a good impression before her departure."

It was the standard answer, one Byakuya always used over and over again whenever someone spoke about her mom. While Byakuya loved her mother dearly, it was still uncomfortable feeling whenever she did something on her own and her mother was brought up. It made her feel... unworthy. Like she wasn't good enough on her own.

Before the conversation could continue, however, a flash of scarlet caught Byakuya's eye. She started and gazed intensely at the teenager with the head of maroon hair standing behind Seijuuro, eyes widening in surprise. It was him.

"Rin-kun." she said. That caught everyone's attention immediately and they all focused their attention on the boy whose name she had called out.

Rin had already spotted them first, and had stopped his conversation with the lavender-haired boy he had been conversing with. He glared intensely at Haru- If looks could kill, Haruka would be dead a hundred times over. It was like all Rin could see was the raven-haired boy, and none of the others mattered... not his old friends; not even his little sister.

"Onii-chan!" Kou cried out happily as she spotted her big brother. She ran up to the boy who looked so much like her and stood in front of him with her hands clasped together eagerly. She was ecstatic to finally get a glimpse of her big brother, and she was eager to talk with him. She had missed his company dearly- absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

"Gou. What are you trying to do?" Rin asked simply, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. Kou's happy expression started to fall slightly, but that was when Nagisa stepped in.

"Rin-chan! We get to swim together again!" He said enthusiastically. "Let's have fun today!"

Byakuya smiled at the boy. He really was much more observant than he let on. He'd pretty much stepped up to defend Kou in his own way- by interrupting when he did, he had kept Rin from possibly hurting Kou's feelings with his cold response. Byakuya was pretty certain at this point that Nagisa was secretly a little blonde knight in shining armor. Kou seemed to notice it too, and shot Nagisa a grateful look.

"Together?" Rin scoffed. "You guys are a waste of my time."

The crimson-haired boy turned away abruptly and started walking towards the locker rooms, leaving behind a group of very startled and confused teens.

"What's up with him?" Rei asked curiously. The redhead that had just left seemed like he had a major attitude problem, and Rei wasn't quite happy with the way he had spoken to Kou; especially if she was the guy's sister. The bluenette had rather high morals, and often did his best to be polite to others. To see another person act so stand-offish to a girl- a younger sibling at that- made Rei less than impressed with his behaviour.

"Yeah, there's some history there." Makoto replied, not really wanting to explain further. Rei understood though, it was obvious that none of them really wanted to elaborate on it, given the Matsuoka boy's stiff attitude towards them.

"Onii-chan..." Kou muttered quietly, staring after her brother. She sounded so confused and stunned, something in Byakuya flared up.

Without even thinking twice, the dark-haired girl strode forth to catch up to Rin and grabbed his arm, ignoring her friends' protest. The boy started for a moment and stopped in his tracks as he glared at the girl. She looked him straight in the eye, not relenting as she met his hard gaze.

"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed. Rin was surprised, he hadn't been expecting anyone- let alone Byakuya, who normally kept her nose out of these things- to just step up to him like that.

"That's your sister, Rin-kun." Byakuya replied calmly, though her voice was stern. "I don't know what's up with you, but she's your family. Treat her like it."

Rin seemed startled at her words, but before he could respond, she released his arm, turning on her heel and walked away. The boy just grit his teeth in irritation and simply turned back to continue on his way. He tried to brush off the girl's words, but found himself thinking on it much more than he should have.

Byakuya took a deep breath as she walked back to her group. She didn't know what had posessed her to confront Rin like that, but she was glad she did. That was something she had wanted to get off her chest for a while now, but she still had so much more she wanted to say to him, so many questions to ask and things she wanted to know... but she didn't know how to put them forth. So she would bide her time. She kept her head high as she returned, crossing her arms in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

"How will this training session go?" She asked immediately, directing the question at Seijuuro as she stoically ignored the inquisitive glances her friends shot her. The captain seemed startled at the sudden change of topic, but regained his composure as he answered.

"I was thinking you could practice with our first-years today." He responded, an enthusiastic grin appearing on his face. Said first-years were already gathered behind him, waiting for their captain's orders- as expected of an elite swimming team.

"Whaddya say to that, captain?" Byakuya said as she nudged Makoto playfully. The tall boy blinked for a moment, still not quite used to his title as Captain of the Iwatobi Swim Team, but responded evenly.

"That's fine with us."

Seijuuro clapped his hands at his answer, clearly excited about this session. He spoke loudly and with confidence. "Okay! Let's start with individual time trials!"

"Yes, Captain Mikoshiba!" They all responded. It was on.

"So, who goes first?" Makoto asked as he faced his team.

"You're the captain, Mako-chan! I think you should take the lead." Nagisa replied, nearly bouncing on his feet in excitement. He was really looking forward to swimming with his friends again; even if it wasn't in a relay or anything big.

"Fair enough." The olive-haired boy said. "The rest of you guys?"

"I will go last." Haruka responded.

"Last?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow. She had expected the boy to volunteer for the very first swim; it was obvious he couldn't wait, so what brought the change?

The others seemed surprised as well, but made no move to inquire further. "Alright then. Nagisa, would you like to go second?"

"No problem!" The boy said cheerily.

"Byaku-chan, you okay with going third?"

"...Yes." Byakuya answered, albeit hesitantly. She was still pretty nervous about the whole ordeal, but she would do her best for her team.

"That's settled then. Let's go with that order." Makoto finished.

"Right!" The others responded.

"You there." Seijuuro called out suddenly, referring to Rei. The bluenette started slightly at being addressed. "Get into your swimsuit."

"Uh," Rei responded hesitantly. "I'm not-"

"Sorry! He forgot to bring his swimsuit!" Nagisa cut in abruptly. That boy really knew when to step in when the need arose for it.

"What? Then why is he here then?" Seijuuro sighed. He took swimming his swimming very seriously, and such a careless mistake on the boy's part disappointed him somewhat. "You can use one of our spare swimsuits; so go get changed!"

"Huh?" Nagisa exclaimed. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Hey, Nitori!" The Samezuka captain barked out.

"Yes!" A lavender-haired boy responded immediately and jogged up to Rei. Byakuya noted that the boy was the one that had been conversing with Rin before they had interrupted. "Come with me." He told the bespectacled boy.

"Uh, I'm not-"

"Hurry up!" The boy- Nitori- interrupted Rei before he could protest and dragged him along by the arm. He was quite dedicated and loyal when it came to obeying orders, it would seem, and wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

"Uh-oh..." Nagisa said, eyes wide as they all watched the Ryugazaki boy get pulled along by Nitori, protesting all the while.

"You got that right." Byakuya muttered.

* * *

"The deal was that I wouldn't have to swim." Rei said, clearly miffed. The boy had returned with Nitori after several minutes, and what he was clad in...well...

Byakuya was trying very hard not to laugh. Rei was wearing a blue speedo, and just looked more uncomfortable than she'd ever seen him before. It was evident that Ryugazaki was trying very hard to keep up his cool front, determined not to let his discomfort show. Really, that boy was far too dignified.

The bluenette glared at his female senior as a snort escaped her lips. Shion had her hands clamped over her mouth in a useless attempt to restrain her amusement. She shot him an apologetic glance when she caught his glare, and moved to hide behind Tachibana to avoid his gaze. The taller boy just chuckled before he ruffled her hair and headed towards the starting block. Even though Rei had only just gotten to know the peculiar bunch of the Iwatobi Swim Team, it was evident that they were all very close. They all seemed to have their own individual relationships with each other, yet they got along perfectly well as a group, too. It was a rather interesting relationship they had, to say the least.

"Don't worry. These time trials are just for practice, so it doesn't matter if you're slow." Nagisa reassured the bespectacled boy.

"That's not the point!" Rei retorted, getting more and more annoyed.

"Oh, it's Mako-chan's turn." Nagisa commented as the olive-haired boy put on his swim cap and goggles before stepping onto the starting platform.

"Are you even listening?!" Rei exclaimed. Really, his classmate had the attention span of a teaspoon...

As Byakuya stood by the sidelines and watched as Mako got ready to start his lap, a small gasp of surprise from Kou- who she had been standing next to- caught her attention. She looked to her left to see the younger girl gazing up at the indoor balcony of the pool and curiously followed her gaze. With a start, she noted that Rin was leaning against the railing, observing the swimmers.

"Rin-kun's still here?" Byakuya said in surprise. Kou glanced back at her senior.

"Looks like he's curious about how this will go." Kou commented, twirling her pen nervously.

"Probably to observe Haru's progress." Byakuya said quietly, glancing back at the raven-haired teen. Just then, the starting whistle blew, snapping her attention back to the pool. Makoto and another swimmer from Samezuka jumped off the starting blocks, diving into the water. Byakuya eyes followed the two, paying particularly close attention to Makoto. Amidst the more technical observations she was making, she couldn't help but note how Makoto's stroke was still the same, even after all these years. Rough, yet dynamic; it was rather effective for competitive swimming. Not nearly as graceful as Haru's strokes- no one could possibly look better at swimming than that boy- but still, it had its own appeal to the onlooker.

...Was it just her or did her heart rate just shoot up again?

"Byakuya-senpai..." Kou said suddenly, snapping the dark-haired girl out of her speculations. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but... I just want to say thank you. For what you did earlier."

"Eh?"

"When you spoke to Rin just now. I didn't really hear what you said, and I know it's a little foolish of me to assume that it was for my benefit, but... thank you. For trying to help my brother." She said sincerely, looking Byakuya straight in the eye.

The Shion girl couldn't help but notice that Kou had the same ruby eyes as Rin. The same eyes, yet the emotions shining in them were completely different.

Could Rin still look that way?

"...It was nothing, Kou-san." Byakuya responded simply, returning her gaze to the swimmers. She couldn't bring herself to look at Kou as she flushed slightly in embarassment. "And you're not exactly wrong... I kinda did do it for you."

Kou looked at the tall girl in surprise. She didn't think that Byakuya would actually reassure her like that; the older girl was normally very reserved with her kindness towards people she wasn't familiar with.

Kou slowly began to smile. Maybe... Byakuya was starting to warm up to her. That would be nice; having another girl around would be a nice reprieve from all these testosterone-packed males.

"Kou-chan."

"Huh?"

"Call me Kou-chan." The redheaded girl repeated insistently. Byakuya seemed startled at the request for a moment, but eventually complied and smirked.

"Alright. But then you're gonna have to drop the whole 'senpai' thing. That stuff makes me uncomfortable."

"Eh? But that would be far too informal of me..." Kou started.

"It's either that or I'm gonna stick with 'Kou-san'~" Byakuya teased.

The younger girl giggled and shook her head. "Fine. Byakuya-chan."

"Good, Kou-chan."

The two girls then fell into a comfortable silence as they watched Makoto finish his lap. It was a strange way to start to their camaraderie, but it was a start nonetheless.

Byakuya decided that despite the initial awkwardness, she wouldn't mind making new friends this way. It was sorta fun.

* * *

AN: The scene where Haru volunteers to go last is my own touch on what happened in this episode. It always did surprise me that Haru didn't swim earlier during the joint practice despite how eager he normally is when it comes to swimming. My assumption is that despite his cool behaviour, he was actually timing his turn to swim intentionally so that it would leave a longer lasting impression on Rei. Maybe, maybe not. We will never really know. Haruka is a really interesting character to write, especially since the first few episodes lock us out of his head, so it's pretty much up to us to speculate what he thinks.

The small character analysis of Nagisa in this chapter should be credited to chipofmintchocolate on tumblr. I happened upon one of her blog posts regarding that particular scene, and I found it most insightful. I just had to incorporate it in here somehow. A lot of character insight that I sorta utilized in this fic is based of inspiration from sugarblaster, shameless-fujoshi, flutterwithoutwind and brumalbreeze (all of whom have really great posts regarding insight on Free. Such feels. qwq), just to clarify that. Some of it is my own interpretation, but it was mostly thanks to the posts from the people I mentioned above that inspired me to try my hand at fanfiction. I hope I did okay :p

Shout out to NotSauron for reviewing, aoa1012 for following this fic, midnight03 for faving, following and reviewing this story, Thug Seme Senpai (your name omg xD) for following and faving, and invisible-gurl for adding this fic to your favourites! Thank you all so much, and I hope you enjoy the story thus far!

See ya'll next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC. **

"I'm up next!" Nagisa said cheerily as he put on his swim cap and goggles. The younger boy stepped up onto the starting block along with another Samezuka first-year, getting ready for their turn as the two starting swimmers made the final turn.

The moment Makoto's hand slapped the wall, Nagisa moved into the starting position and waited for Seijuuro's call.

"Ready..."

The whistle blew. Nagisa dove off into the water.

"Keep it coming!" Mikoshiba hollered. "Next swimmer, get ready!"

'My turn, then...' Byakuya thought to herself. She took a deep breath as she put on her swim cap. She always got far too nervous when she swam in front of other people; and she dearly hoped she would be able to do this properly.

"Go get em, Byakuya-chan!" Kou cheered, bringing the Byakuya out of her thoughts. The dark-haired girl gave Kou a small smile over her shoulder as she walked towards the starting platform. She reassured herself that it would turn out okay- if she had gotten over her apprehension of returning to her old swim club on her own, then she could do the same here. She had to try.

As she walked past Makoto, he gave her a pat on the shoulder and shot her a comforting smile. Though they only shared a brief glance, Byakuya could tell that Makoto was giving her his full support- the boy didn't need her to even say anything about her worries; he always knew what she was feeling and how to reassure her.

Hoo boy. She was falling hard.

"Ah, Byakuya-kun. Nitori, you're up too. Get ready." Seijuuro said. The two who were addressed nodded curtly and stepped onto the starting block, pulling their goggles on and getting into the starting positions as the previous two swimmers made their last turn.

Nagisa, surprisingly, was able to make it back in a shorter time than the other Samezuka student. It was quite an achievement for the boy, and he grinned up at Byakuya. She smiled back before she heard the signal for her to get ready. Her attention sharpened instinctively, and her leg muscles coiled.

The moment the whistle sounded, she leapt off.

Her entry angle wasn't perfect, but her dive was still good enough. Byakuya didn't bother to try and see how Nitori had entered; that wasn't important.

Byakuya's forte was her stroke- despite her low stamina, she had rather strong arms. She made full use of that advantage, making sure to get as much distance with the dolphin kick before before surfacing and beginning the front crawl.

'Byakuya always struggled with the breathing aspect of swimming; she had to consciously remind herself to raise her head for air lest she push too hard and end up short of breath halfway through. It was still something she really needed to work on; dividing her concentration between her movements as well as swimming tended to affect her speed and rhythm. Despite her efforts though, her breathing was still rather irregular.

There- she could see the wall. Pushing herself deeper underwater for a moment, Byakuya spun her body around, feet bracing against the cool wall of the swimming pool before she kicked off, hard. She was starting to feel some slight muscle burn already; despite her strong limbs, she was terribly out of shape. She refused to let herself slow down, though, and pushed herself until the she finally saw the wall of the starting end of the pool.

Byakuya smacked her hand against the wall, breaking the surface of the water. She had been slower than Nitori, but despite her exhaustion...she grinned. She had forgotten how fun it was to swim, how free it felt. It was a feeling she hadn't had since she was a kid.

Man, no wonder Haru couldn't wait for summer.

She raised her head, immediately expecting the familiar sight of her mother reaching out a hand to her... but she wasn't there. Byakuya's face fell for a moment as a small pang ran through her heart, but her expression quickly became one of surprise when she saw who was standing on the starting block.

"Ryugazaki-san?" She said, startled. She hadn't been expecting that. The boy didn't even glance at her, his eyes fixed on the water. He looked to be deep in thought as he bent into the starting position. It looked like she was gonna get to see Rei swim after all. She was pretty stoked; after how witnessing how beautiful his pole-vaulting was, she was eager to see how he'd swim. Would it be just as beautiful? More, even?

The girl waded to the sidelines, not really bothering to get out of the pool. Despite the small bit of nostalgia at the end of her lap, she realized that she had reacted a lot better than she had expected.

Perhaps the old saying was right- time really did heal all wounds.

"Ready..." Seijuuro called out.

The Ryugazaki boy's form looked great, Byakuya noted appraisingly. Now for the actual swimming...

The Samezuka captain blew the whistle. Both the swimmers leapt off the platforms. For a moment, it looked like everything was going smoothly...

Until in midair, Ryugazaki's jump faltered and he flopped ungracefully into the pool, water splashing everywhere.

Everyone deadpanned. They couldn't quite wrap their heads around what had just happened. They all waited for Rei to surface and continue the swim anyway, despite the initial mess-up.

And waited.

...

They were still waiting.

"U-uhm..." Makoto's face paled slightly. "He hasn't come up..."

Kou took an anxious step forward. "Uh, This looks ba-"

But before she could finish, a flash of black rushed past her. Haruka had reacted instantaneously and dove into the water without hesitation when he realized what was going on. A second later, Byakuya's eyes widened in shock before she started swimming towards the boy as well when she realized the same thing.

Rei couldn't swim.

"Is he okay?!" Seijuuro asked worriedly as he rushed over to their side of the pool as well, ready to dive in himself if necessary.

Thankfully, there was no need for that. The two swimmers surfaced, carrying the Ryugazaki boy to the surface. The bluenette was heaving, but was otherwise okay as his arms were hooked around Haruka and Byakuya's shoulders respectively.

The others let out a collective breath of relief. Rei was alright- thank goodness. However, this situation brought with it a whole new problem entirely...

* * *

"So... Rei-chan..." Nagisa started slowly as he spoke to the brooding bluenette sitting agaist the wall. "...You can't swim?"

They had all taken a short break from the practice to stand by Rei as he recovered from his near-drowning experience. It must've been quite embarassing for the confident boy to have to be saved by someone else- his pride was obviously wounded.

"Yeah..." he replied despondently, before he misinterpreted Nagisa's words and glared at the blonde. "Are you saying that it's my fault? I told you I wasn't going to swim!" He said vehemently, turning his head the other way.

"Woah, woah, slow down there. We didn't say anything of the sort." Byakuya said, raising her hands in a placating manner.

"Don't patronize me!"

"I wasn't patronizing!" Byakuya was appalled. She had absolutely no idea how to handle the situation, and shot a pleading glance at Nagisa. Thankfully, he caught it.

"You really should have said something earlier, Rei-chan." The blonde cut in, his face solemn.

"...I wasn't going to admit that I couldn't swim." Rei said quietly, averting his gaze. It was understandable; he prided himself on his flawless form and his capabilities- to admit such an embarassing fact would be a major blow to his pride. Though, given how that had turned out... it didn't make much of a difference anymore. "That would go against my sense of beauty!" He clenched his fists. This was an absolute disaster.

"Rei-chan..." Nagisa trailed off. As much as he wanted to, he didn't know what to say to comfort the boy.

"I'll clear things up with Samezuka." Makoto said kindly. He could see that the boy was obviously discomforted with everything that had transpired, and he did what he could to reassure him somewhat. "Sorry for forcing you into this situation."

Haruka remained calm throughout the whole thing, and casually put on his swim cap and goggles. Byakuya shot him a glance as he walked past, and realized why he wanted to go last.

He wanted to show Rei what he was capable of at the right time- the icing on the cake.

"Knock em dead, Haru-kun." She said, giving him a small, encouraging smile. Haruka just nodded in affirmation and headed towards the starting block.

"Oh, it's Haru's turn to swim." Makoto commented as they all watched the raven-haired boy step onto the diving platform and get into the starting position.

"This is where the show begins, Ryugazaki-san. You might wanna see this." Byakuya said to the bluenette, never taking her eyes off Haru. Rei looked up when she said that, also fixing his attention on the stoic senior.

"Ready..." Seijuuro called, alerting the swimmers.

"Set..."

Haru's legs tensed as he prepared for the signal.

The whistle sounded, and Haruka dove in barely a millisecond after. Byakuya smirked to herself as she watched Haru dive in- a perfect entry. She could hear Rei's sharp intake of breath as well at the sight of Haruka's beautiful dive, and she allowed her smirk to grow.

"It's so beautiful to watch!" Nagisa enthused as Haruka began the starting dolphin kick. Rei just stood up wordlessly, staring at the sight before him.

"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked in concern.

"No...It's just that..." Rei trailed off. He was absolutely stunned This was...

Nagisa grinned at the boy's response; he knew Rei would understand once he saw Haru in action. "See, I told you so! Haru-chan is an amazing swimmer!"

The bespectacled boy started at his classmate's statement for a bit before turning back to the swimming teen. Such beautiful strokes and kicks... it was nothing like he had ever seen. His entire view on swimming changed drastically in that moment.

'He doesn't use theory.' Rei though to himself in awe. The older boy looked like he wasn't even trying at all; like he was one with the water. Like a fish in the ocean, he swam like it was second nature. 'No calculation either. He has something much stronger... that I do not.'

As Haruka slapped his hand against the wall, signaling the end of his lap, Rei stared on in amazement. He still couldn't believe what he had witnessed.

'Can I...' Rei's grip on his wrist tightened as his eyes became determined. 'Can I learn to swim like that?'

'Got him. Hook, line and sinker.' Byakuya covered her smirk with the back of her hand.

* * *

"81 seconds on my 100m free..." Byakuya muttered to herself, frowning. Her time had really gone down; she used to be able to complete these in slightly over a minute. She shoved her free hand into her pants pocket, dissatisfied with the result. "I'm really out of it."

"Well, if you guys have been out of practice for as long as you said you have, it's only natural to have slowed down. Besides, your times are still in the average zone, so it's not too bad." Seijuuro commented, taking back the clipboard with all their times recorded on it. Training had just ended, and Byakuya had been the first to change back into her dry clothes before the others did.

"Still, Haru's the only one with consistent above average times so far... it's not gonna be easy for all of us to get back into shape." Byakuya sighed.

"Well, you guys are just gonna have to push, then. You're not gonna have too much time to improve, but you could still do it." Seijuuro replied.

"I've already taken down the times, too!" Kou announced, brandishing her own notebook. "I'm gonna try to think up some new training routines for us to do in the summer, but I'm sorta new to this, so..."

"I could help you out!" Seijuuro interjected immediately, grinning. "How do you plan to go about this? Thrice a week? Four times?"

"Well, I already planned out the scheduled dates and all, but I'm still not sure what to assign..."

"Already have the days planned out? Heh, so you're both cute and an effective manager. You wanna hang out sometime?"

"Uhm, thank you, Mikoshiba-san. But could we get back to the topic at hand...?"

Byakuya smirked as the Matsuoka girl flushed slightly at the Samezuka captain's compliment. Seijuuro obviously thought Kou attractive, which wasn't a surprise. The girl was rather pretty, and she had an innocent sort of allure that attracted the attention of the opposite gender without her even trying. Byakuya would be lying if she said she said she wasn't at least a little bit envious of the maroon-haired girl.

Before she could pursue that train of thought, however, something caught her attention. She turned her gaze towards the lavender-haired boy- Nitori, if she remembered correctly- who was talking to Rin again at the far end of the pool. He looked to be trying to make conversation, but Rin barely responded to him and simply walked away, leaving the younger boy staring after him, an almost regretful expression in his face.

The gears in Byakuya's head started turning. She thought about her plan for a moment before excusing herself and striding towards the boy.

"Uh, excuse me... Nitori-san, right?" Byakuya called out hesitantly. This was just the same as that time when she had called up Nagisa- she was acting on impulse, and it made her extremely jittery. The boy started at being addressed, but immediately turned his attention to the older girl.

"Yes, senpai?"

"Well, I'm sorry for intruding, and I know this is sudden, but..." Byakuya trailed off for a moment. She didn't want to "blabber on", as Nagisa had put it, so she thought her question over before presenting it. It was sort of naive of her to make such a large assumption just from one small observation, but she tried anyway. "Nitori-san, are you... friends with Rin-kun?"

"Eh?" The lavender-haired boy was taken aback at the question; he hadn't been expecting that. He scratched his cheek nervously as he thought up his response. "Um, well, we're roommates, and we're on the same swim team, but I don't think Matsuoka-senpai considers me his friend..."

"But do you think of him as one?" Byakuya inquired. She recognized the boy's hesitation all too well; she had done the same thing when Coach Sasabe had put forth that question to her too.

The boy blinked for a moment, before nodding his head. Despite Rin's cold demeanour and generally rude attitude, Nitori didn't dislike his senior at all. He greatly admired Rin for his great skills, and he could never forget the image of him as a kid during the tournament all those years ago, looking so carefree and joyful. Rin's rough attitude now was difficult to get used to- but Nitori was willing to try. He was a kind and understanding boy, always eager to please, and he truly wanted to be able to befriend the mysterious senior.

"Then that's enough." Byakuya reassured. It was something she had thought long and hard about ever since Coach Sasabe had the question, and that had been the answer she had come to. It didn't matter if Rin didn't think of them as his friends anymore- to them, he would always be.

"I know it's sudden of me to ask this, but..." Byakuya continued, fidgeting slightly. "Please, Nitori-san... keep an eye on Rin-kun. Don't... don't let him do anything stupid."

Nitori was even more startled at the Shion girl's new request. However, as he understood the girl's concern, he smiled and nodded his head. "I understand, Shion-senpai. Don't worry, I'll keep tabs on Matsuoka-senpai for you!" He said determinedly.

Byakuya flushed slightly and scratched her head. She was still rather awkward with starting such a serious conversation with someone she had just met, but it was for a good reason. She fished around in her pockets for a bit before taking out her phone and handing it to him. "You mind giving me your contact, Nitori-san? Y'know, to keep me up-to-date on Rin's condition, and all..."

"Ah, okay." Nitori accepted and gave his own cell a missed call before returning the phone to the older girl.

"Thank you. And um, I don't think I caught your full name...?"

"It's Aiichirou. Aiichirou Nitori."

"Right. Byakuya Shion. Pleasure to meet you, Nitori-san." She responded, holding out her hand and smiling. "I do hope we get along."

"Me too, Shion-senpai!" Nitori replied, smiling back and shaking her hand firmly. That was the beginning of the strange alliance between the two teens, both of whom cared for and were willing to help out a certain Rin Matsuoka in their own ways. It wasn't going to be easy, they both knew, but they were willing to try anyway.

After all, that was what friends were for.

* * *

The following Monday, the members of the swim team sat on the bench by the sidelines of the track field, making idle conversation as they watched Rei prepare for his turn on the pole vault again. The boy hadn't spoken much on their way back from Samezuka after the training session, and they were all rather concerned and curious about his well-being, leading to their presence here now.

"You still haven't given up yet?" The teacher in charge of the track team said in surprise as he observed Rei doing his stretches.

"Of course not." The boy replied, though his tone held no indignance.

"Gee, such confidence that teacher has in his students." Byakuya muttered. Kou couldn't help but nod slightly in agreement at the comment.

"But still," Nagisa mused as they watched the bluenette respond eagerly to his teacher's call. "It looks like Rei-chan is feeling a lot better."

The Ryugazaki boy stood up and readied his pole. Out of habit, he nearly started calculating formulas in his head, but stopped himself abruptly.

'No theory... no calculation.' He thought to himself, remembering the way Haruka had looked as he swam through the pool. 'Be free!'

He ran without hesitation. As his pole hit the landing box, his momentum lifted him off the ground and into the sky. His form was flawless, as always, but right at the peak of his jump...

"What?!"

The five onlookers started in surprise as Rei suddenly ignored all semblance of perfect form and spread his arms and legs wide, as if he was embracing the sky.

It would have been a lot more impressive if he hadn't clattered onto the landing mat like a stone, the pole falling onto him and his goggles flying off his face. A couple of the other track team members had to help him get back onto his feet.

"He fell." Makoto said, sweatdropping.

"...Well, at least he's trying." Byakuya said, albeit unsurely.

"Ah, wait. He's coming this way." Nagisa pointed out. Sure enough, Rei was walking right towards them, his posture casual yet purposeful; as if the earlier mess-up hadn't occured at all.

He stopped right in front of their bench, making direct eye contact with Haruka as he spoke. "I want to be like you, Nanase-senpai."

Haruka blinked his sapphire eyes in surprise, but didn't let it show too obviously. "What do you mean?"

"I want that kind of freedom." Rei said humbly.

"It's not freedom." Haruka responded tonelessly. His response garnered confused and surprised looks from everyone, not just the bluenette. "It's freestyle." He explained.

"Fr-freestyle..." Rei stuttered, seeing, yet not quite understanding the difference. However, he pushed up his glasses as he regained his composure.

"In any case, would like to formally..." Here, he took a deep breath, before bowing towards the group seated on the bench. "Join the swim club!"

They were all taken aback, yet pleased at the boy's sudden declaration. "What? For real?" Nagisa exclaimed.

Haruka simply turned his head and looked away. "If you want to swim, then go ahead." He said neutrally. To any other person, it would look like he was extremely nonchalant about the whole thing, but his friends knew that he was rather pleased at this new development as well.

"That's that, then!"

"Yep!"

"Oh yeah, suck on that, 5 person rule!"

"Haru-chan!"

"However..." Rei interrupted, gaining their attentions yet again. The boy turned his violet gaze to Nagisa, who seemed rather surprised at being addressed personally by the boy. "You were the one who initially asked me to join, so I expect you to take full responsibility..."

The boy trailed off and broke his gaze from the blonde, staring off somewhere else as he flushed slightly in embarassment. He couldn't believe he was actually going to say it...

"...Nagisa-kun." He finished awkwardly.

Nagisa's pink eyes widened in surprise, but his expression immediately shifted into one of pure joy. He leapt off his seat and practically jumped onto Rei as he tossed an arm around the taller boy's shoulder.

"Sure! You can count on me!" He proclaimed enthusiastically.

"H-hey, watch it!" Rei said as he stumbled, his face growing redder. He wasn't quite used to being on such friendly terms with others, it would seem.

Byakuya laughed as she observed the scene before her, exchanging small glances of happiness between the rest of her teammates. When she caught Makoto's eye, he raised a teasing eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes at his silent statement, knowing full well what he was trying to say- with the sight before her now, it wasn't too difficult to imagine Nagisa and Rei being best friends, despite what she'd said earlier that week.

It wasn't too bad of a picture, really.

* * *

AN: I absolutely love the relationship Rei and Nagisa share. It's just so nice how they balance each other out. (I secretly curse the fact that Nagisa isn't a girl. The ship could have had a higher chance of becoming legitimately canon haha!) The same goes for Haru and Mako's friendship. The relationships in this anime are just so perfect I can't handle it (I also secretly curse the fact that Rin doesn't have a legit partner in the Iwatobi group *sob* but he does have Nitori, which counts for something xD) And yes, I will be including some Nitori spotlight in this fic, because he is yet another wonderful character, plus he doesn't get enough love, haha! Also, I do apologize for the long ANs sometimes; I've started to reply to revews via PM to shorten these things, but somehow they still end up pretty long XD

Many thanks to Starzway and shotasayswhat (I swear, some of you guys have the greatest pen names xD) for following this fic! I hope you guys like it so far!

See ya'll next water time!


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"Byaku-chan..."

A muffled groan.

"Byaku-chan, it's time to get up."

"I don't want any girl scout cookies." Byakuya responded blearily. She obviously still wasn't quite awake yet.

Makoto sighed as he shook his head, smiling kindly. He had arrived at Byakuya's house that morning to pick her up like her normally did, but she hadn't responded when he rang the doorbell. Thankfully, he knew where she kept her spare keys, and had used them to get in. Byakuya had been fast asleep on the couch of her living room, dressed in her school uniform. From the looks of it, she had indeed gotten up earlier to get ready for school, but had knocked out again. She had the weirdest sleeping habits.

He shook her shoulder gently, trying not to wake her up too violently. She finally stirred as she rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, blinking to adjust her vision. When she finally focused on Makoto...

"You're not a girl scout." She deadpanned. Makoto laughed at her ridiculous statement and ruffled her already messy hair. She weakly swatted his hand away.

"No, but I think I'd look pretty good in a skirt." He joked lightly.

"I really didn't need that mental image of drag queen Makoto first thing in the morning." She mumbled out, rubbing her forehead.

"Am I a handsome drag queen, at least?"

That made Byakuya laugh as well. It was such a ridiculous thought.

"You're always handsome." She responded without thinking.

When she registered what she'd said though, she clamped her hands over her mouth, her eyes widening. Had she really let that slip out?

Judging from Makoto's flustered expression, she supposed she had. Dammit. Well this got awkward real fast.

As she nervously studied the walls of her house, she suddenly felt something being placed into her palms. The girl looked down to see Makoto pressing a flask into her hands.

"I was prepared for something like this to happen." He said kindly, avoiding- thank goodness- the matter of Byakuya's slip of the tongue. "So I made some coffee this morning for you. Haru's probably not ready yet either, and we're waiting for him by the steps today; so take your time."

Byakuya turned her brown eyes up to meet Makoto's green ones, and couldn't help but flush slightly as she noticed how close they were. The butterflies that suddenly appeared in her stomach were enough to wake her up, and she nodded silently in thanks as she practically chugged down the coffee. Man, she was hooked on this stuff.

Plus, the feeling of the hot liquid burning her throat was enough to take her mind of her nervousness. Really, she was such a girl.

* * *

Byakuya giggled as she sat on the neighbourhood steps, watching Makoto play with Shiro-chan- the little white kitten from the other day- with a long strand of cattail. The little kitten was watching the moving plant intently, occasionally trying to pounce on the thing. Makoto always moved it away at the last second though, so the weed would always slip through the kitten's tiny paws at the last second. It was just too adorable.

"Stop teasing the poor baby." Byakuya lectured playfully from her seat on the step just below Makoto. The boy simply raised a brow at her, and flicked his wrist again as Shiro-chan tried to grab at the cattail. The cheeky bastard.

"You idiot." Byakuya laughed as she shoved him playfully. It barely moved the large boy, but he relented as he finally kept the plant still enough for Shiro-chan to get a hold on it. The cat meowed in victory and starting biting the long stalk immediately, earning another adoring look from Byakuya.

"Oh, you're adorable. Isn't she just the prettiest thing you've ever seen, Mako?" The girl cooed, scratching the cat behind its ears. She giggled girlishly as the cat abandoned its previous win over the cattail and rubbed itself against her hand. If there was one thing Byakuya absolutely could not resist despite her boyish nature, it was cute things. And Shiro-chan definitely fit in that category.

"Yeah. She is." Makoto responded quietly. Unbeknownst to Byakuya, Mako wasn't paying attention to the cat at all. Instead, he fixed his gentle gaze on the dark-haired girl, a small smile playing on his lips. He always liked to see Byakuya looking so happy...she looked nice when she smiled.

"Aww, you hear that, Shiro-chan? Mako thinks so too!" Byakuya said lovingly, tickling the kitten under its chin.

Makoto just shook his head at her obliviousness. If only she knew.

The sound of footsteps from higher up the staircase they were sitting on caught their attentions. The two teens looked up to see Haruka at the top of the stairs, staring down at them neutrally. Makoto stood up and brushed himself off, Byakuya following suit.

"Good morning!" They both greeted the raven-haired teen.

"Today's the big day, Haru." Makoto continued, smiling happily at his best friend.

Haruka just nodded in acknowledgement, but in truth, he was pretty excited. He couldn't wait- after all, today was the day for the very first official Iwatobi Swim Club meeting.

* * *

"Okay!" Kou announced enthusiastically as she stood in front of the five members of the swim team. She brandished a piece of paper on which several notes were scribbled as she spoke. "We now officially have 5 members on the team, and it's starting to warm up outside now, so we will finally start training in the pool tod-"

But before she could finish her sentence, a blur of black and blue rushed past the girl and dove into the pool behind her. Kou's brow twitched as she spun around and saw Haruka swimming in the pool without bothering to hear what she had to say.

"Hold on! Could you at least listen to what I have to say first, Haruka-senpai?" She cried out, dropping the sheet of paper she had as she rushed to the edge of the pool. "Please, Haruka-senpai?!"

She was completely ignored. Byakuya gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

Rei, who had seen Kou drop the paper she had been holding, bent down to pick it up again. As he did so, he looked over its contents, and what he saw made him pause in confusion.

"Are these formulas?" He asked, perplexed. There were several numbers scribbled across the page, along with words like "Kb" or "W-Up" and the like. It definitely didn't look like any formula he'd seen before.

"Where?" Makoto asked as he peered over Rei's shoulder, wondering what the boy was talking about. Rei graciously showed Makoto the piece of paper and the older boy's brows raised in recognition.

"Oh." He said. It was understandable that Rei wouldn't be familiar with all the regular terms used in swimming. Makoto patiently proceeded to explain each individual meaning of the abbreviations on the sheet.

Nagisa had by this time walked over as well just as Mako finished explaining the ethics of a relay medley to Rei.

"There are also swimmers who use the butterfly stroke." The blonde boy pointed out.

"Butterfly stroke?" Rei inquired. That was certainly an interesting name for a swimming style.

"Yep." Nagisa replied as he stood up and turned back to their club manager. "But anyway... this is a pretty solid training regimen. Did you come up with this by yourself, Gou-chan?"

"Can you stop calling me Gou?" The girl sighed exasperatedly before relenting. "Forget it. I found that when I was cleaning the house. It's my brother's old regimen." She said casually.

On the other side of the pool, Haruka paused slightly at the mention of the Matsuoka boy. The way Kou had said that...

"My brother's old regimen."

...It was another reminder of the new changes that time had brought.

* * *

Rei muttered methodically to himself as he performed his warm-up stretches, going into some rather peculiar positions as he did so. Byakuya watched in fascination as the boy did so, impressed at his flexibility. She herself was about as flexible as a toothpick- which is to say, not at all. It was rather interesting to see which muscles worked with each different stretch- Rei really knew his stuff.

As this was going on, Haruka was standing by the edge of the pool, reading the training regimen that Kou had found for them. He was going over it so intently that he barely noticed as Kou walked up to him, giving him an inquisitive glance.

"Are you that interested?" She asked. At the boy's confused expression, she elaborated. "In my brother's old training regimen?"

Haruka paused for a bit before he answered.

"Not really." He replied. It wasn't a lie; he wasn't all that interested in the regimen itself. Rather, he was more keen on seeing how much work Rin had put into his swimming back then. The workout planned on that paper was pretty intense- especially if what Kou said was true, and that it was planned out by Rin as a kid. It was... nostalgic, almost.

"You can write down a regimen and not follow it." Haruka continued, pushing the paper back into Kou's hands before placing his goggles and swim cap over his head. Now, here he was just trying to fool himself, he knew. Rin had been extremely passionate about his dream of becomi an Olympic swimmer, and if he had written this down, he had most probably followed it- right down to the last stroke. Possibly more.

Pushing all those thought to the back of his mind, Haruka got onto the starting block and dove straight into the pool again, not waiting for Kou's response.

The girl just stared after the stoic boy with a perplexed expression in her face before she broke out into an exasperated smile.

"So he is interested." She sighed, smiling to herself.

"Already learning to read the subtle body language of our resident dolphin, huh?" Byakuya commented jokingly as she walked past the younger girl, also putting on her swimming accessories.

"Well, you get used to it after a while." Kou said, smiling as she gazed at Haruka's flawless swimming form.

Sometimes, the Nanase boy was a lot easier to read than he thought.

* * *

"S-so cold." Nagisa shivered as he clung to the edge of the pool, his body already submerged in the cool waters.

"I can't feel my legs." Byakuya whined, grasping onto the edge of the pool as well.

Makoto- who had gone in with them earlier as well- lifted himself slowly out of the pool, his body aching from the freezing temperature of the water.

"It's still pretty cold." Mako agreed as he stood back up on land. Nagisa turned his gaze towards his blue-haired classmate, who was still doing his stretches.

"Rei-chan! You're still stretching?" Nagisa called out as he, too, got out of the pool and approached the Ryugazaki boy.

"I want to be as safe as possible." The boy justified, not lifting himself out of his stretch.

"You gonna be okay?" Makoto asked. "You can take it slow..."

"There's no need to worry." Rei reassured as he straightened back up. He smirked victoriously at the two who were talking to him as he removed his glasses.

"I already mastered the theory behind swimming the over the past few days!" He proclaimed as he pulled his goggles over his eyes. "I won't embarass myself again!"

"You'll get it." Byakuya reassured. "Swimming is easy once you get the hang of the basics."

"I will perform flawlessly, just you wait." Rei announced as he put on his swim cap and stepped up onto the diving platform. The rest of the swim club members watched intently as he got into the starting position.

'Ryugazaki-san...' Byakuya was intrigued as to how Rei's study on theory would affect his performance.

'Rei...' Makoto was concerned that another incident like the one that happened at Samezuka would repeat again.

'Rei-chan...' Nagisa was rather excited to see how this would turn out; he had the utmost confidence in Rei's ability.

'Biceps!' Kou was still trying to get used to seeing the upper half of the male anatomy, but she was still interested in seeing the newest member's performance nonetheless.

Haruka stayed silent at the other end of the pool, his expression carefully blank.

Rei's knees bent slightly as he prepared to dive into the water. He leapt into the air and...

Flopped into the water like a stone.

The others all watched on, sweatdropping as Rei attempted to kick his legs, but it did no good- he wasn't surfacing.

The bespectacled boy shot up immediately, standing on the floor of the pool as he gasped for air.

"I think you need to start by learning how to swim." Nagisa pointed out. As if it wasn't already obvious...

* * *

"Let's start with the turtle float." Makoto said to Rei as the two of them, Byakuya and Nagisa stood in the centre if the pool. They were going to start with the basics to see which areas they needed to work on.

"I'll demonstrate it for you!" Nagisa said cheerily as he put on his own goggles and lowered himself into the water.

"You hug your knees to your chest and relax." Makoto explained as Nagisa performed the float for Rei to see.

"...It's not beautiful." Rei stated, somewhat upset at having to do something that looked so... plain.

"Just give it a try." Makoto suggested.

"How does this work?" Rei asked as he put on his goggles.

"If your muscles are tensed, you'll sink deeper because your body will weigh more than the weight of water displaced. Archimedes' Law, if you will. Which is why you have to relax." Byakuya explained in detail.

Everyone stared at the girl as if she had grown a third head.

"...I do listen in Physics class sometimes, y'know. " She grumbled out.

"R-right..." Rei said, still somewhat stunned at the insightful response Byakuya had given. Surprisingly, it made a lot of sense, and Rei understood it perfectly as he tried out the float.

"So, he can float." Nagisa commented as he observed his classmate.

"Now, slowly extend your arms and legs and try to swim." Makoto urged. The bluenette complied, doing as the older boy had told him to... but he just sank again and had to stand up for air.

"No good." Makoto said, disappointed. He'd thought Rei would have gotten it for sure.

As the four of them conversed and discussed how to help Rei attain swimming abilities, Kou squatted by the side of the pool, idly watching the swimmers as they went about doing their own thing.

Kou turned her gaze to Haruka, who had surfaced not too far away. A question Kou had been meaning to ask popped into her head again, and she decided to take the opportunity.

"Haruka-senpai..." She started slowly, gaining the raven-haired boy's attention. "Why do you swim?"

Haruka seemed mildly surprised at thr question, but calmly met Kou's serious gaze with his own. "I don't have a reason."

Kou nodded in understanding- she'd been expecting that answer. She gazed at the slow lapping of the water against the pool's ledge before she continued. "My brother's dream is to become an Olympic swimmer. That's why he went all the way to Australia to study."

Haruka shut his eyes at the statement, interrupting Kou before she could continue further.

"That's got nothing to do with me." He said curtly. "Besides... it's just a dream."

Kou seemed perturbed at the senior's pessimistic views, but could tell the subject was somewhat touchy for the Nanase boy. Yet, she pushed forth anyway.

"Perhaps." The redhead mused. "But I think he'll be a little closer to his dream if he's with you guys... like that time you swam in the relay together."

Haruka opened his eyes at that, and finally glanced back up at Kou with a hint of surprise. She had sounded so sure, so optimistic... he didn't quite understand how she could be so.

The girl simply smiled back encouragingly; she had faith in these guys. She knew they would bring her brother back somehow- theirs was not a bond that would be so easily broken.

After all, they were a team.

* * *

Byakuya finished her fourth lap across the pool, coming up for air as soon as her hand hit the wall of the starting block again. She panted as she looked up at Kou, who pressed a button on the stopwatch she was holding.

"79 seconds." Kou stated. Byakuya groaned and placed her head against the wall.

"Stop worrying about the time." The calm voice of Haruka interrupted suddenly, making Byakuya jerk her head back up. "Just swim."

"Easier said than done, Haru-kun." Byakuya sighed. "I really need to improve myself if I plan to place in the tournament..."

"You can't swim properly that way. You have to try and be free." Haruka said simply, before turning back around and diving under again. Byakuya was left standing where she was, staring after him. She pondered Haruka's words for a long time, wanting to take his advice into consideration, but not knowing how to.

She sighed again and moved to go another lap, but paused.

'Free, huh...'

"Kou-chan..." Byakuya called out.

"Yeah?"

"Don't start the timer."

"Eh?"

But Byakuya had dove in again, starting a new lap.

She wasn't sure if this was what Haru had meant, but it would be a start.

* * *

It was evening, and the sky was beginning to turn a fiery shade of red; a last salute from the sun before darkness overtook the sky. While most people would be preparing for their return home from work and the like, one very persistent redhead was swimming laps in the indoor swim pool of the esteemed Samezuka Academy.

Nitori held the timer in his hands as he watched Rin finish his- 14th? 15th? He'd lost count- lap that day. Training had been over for over an hour now, but the Matsuoka boy was intent on continuing his training.

"Finish! Good job! That last spurt was incredible, Matsuoka-senpai!" Nitori praised as Rin surfaced, panting for air.

"...One more run." The maroon-haired boy muttered, diving back under before Nitori could protest.

"What? O-okay!" The boy was startled at how hard his senior was pushing, but made no move to stop him.

As he watched Rin swim through the water, he couldn't help but wonder- not for the first time- just what the Matsuoka boy's drive was.

* * *

"You're amazing, Matsuoka-senpai!" Nitori gushed as the two of them were back in their dorm room. Rin was busy drying his hair with a towel, and barely took note of the boy's compliment.

"You should stop going on about how amazing I am and work on finding your own style." He responded blandly.

"I'm a lost cause. I haven't made any progress. I guess it all comes down to talent." Nitori said, somewhat despondently. But he perked up again as he continued, not noticing that Rin's hands had paused from the task of drying his hair. "I was really impressed by Nanase-san during our joint prac-"

"Nitori." Rin interrupted, cutting the boy off. He removed the towel from his head and shot the younger boy a hard glare, making Nitori flinch. "Is that really what you think?" He asked, his voice like cold steel.

"E-eh?"

"They've only just started up their swim club; they haven't even had a real practice yet." Rin said as he stood up from his bed, turning towards the door. "You can tell by looking at their bodies. They haven't been working out."

And he left the room, tossing his towel back onto the bed as he did so. Nitori stared after his senior as he slammed the door behind him, even more perplexed at Rin's confusing behaviour.

The lavender-haired boy glanced at his phone, which sat on his desk. He briefly recalled the Shion girl and her request; how pleading she'd looked as she asked him to take care of her old friend.

Nitori went to pick up his phone and barely hesitated before sending Byakuya a text message.

"Matsuoka-senpai is training until late again."

He only had to wait a few seconds before the girl replied.

"What a moron. I hope he gets sick."

A second later, another message came.

"Did he dress properly? It's still cold outside."

Despite himself, Nitori laughed. It was encouraging to see how concerned Byakuya was in her own way for Rin- it motivated him to try harder to understand the Matsuoka boy. He would keep his end of the bargain; he would look out for Rin, no matter how cold he seemed.

Because there was good in Rin; and he would always see that.

* * *

Rin jogged through the grounds of Samezuka Academy, keeping his breathing even as he did so. The area was well-lit by lampposts, so thankfully his vision was not hindered despite the darkness of the night.

'Given the condition he's in, my victory means nothing.' Rin thought to himself as he jogged. 'It doesn't count as a win.'

The Matsuoka boy grit his teeth, pushing himself to run faster- as if he could run away from his doubts and towards his goal. He kept his eyes on the prize, pushing himself to the limit with his training to better himself.

Nitori was wrong about him. He wasn't amazing. He didn't have talent. It was all simply a product of his hard work. And yet, Haruka was still...

Rin increased his speed, pushing that thought out of his mind in disgust. No, he would do it. He was better. Rin Matsuoka would come out victorious, no matter what.

He kept on running.

* * *

AN: Nitori is such a darling. He's sorta annoying-ish sometimes, but he really is a sweetie. He just accepts Rin so willingly despite how Rin treats him sometimes- which definitely can't be easy, but he does it anyway. Nitori is yet another one of my Free bbies, I swear there isn't a single character that isn't, haha! Sometimes I regret changing my initial plans for a Rin/OC fic, but then I write more Mako fluff and I forget all about it. Ah, the laments of having too many beautiful men in one series XD

Shout out to Flefleflo for adding this story to your alerts, and Savage Kill for faving and reviewing this fic! Thank you so much, and I hope you guys like this story so far! 8D


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"Byakuya Shion."

Byakuya gulped as she looked up at Mr Hasegawa from her seat, her clasped hands trembling slightly as she lay them on top of her desk. The History teacher was returning their test papers today, and Mr Hasegawa had this horrible habit of pausing for a very long time before presenting the students with their results. The man's face always remained strict, so it was difficult to tell whether you passed or failed.

'Please don't throw me out the window please don't throw me out the window please please pleaseeee.' Byakuya prayed furiously in her head as the teacher scrutinized her closely, giving her a really bad feeling. It was the first time she felt so nervous when it came to receiving test results, since she'd actually tried to study this time. She was positive she'd flunked again, and was bracing herself for another lecture, when...

"72, B. Good job, Shion. Keep it up." Mr Hasegawa said, his voice holding a hint of surprise and almost suspicion- he probably thought she'd cheated off someone, but at that moment Byakuya didn't care.

She'd passed her History test.

SHE'D PASSED. WITH A B.

She wanted to kiss Nagisa. That boy was an angel.

She stared at her paper in delight, resisting the urge to do a jig. Seriously, her day just got a whole lot better.

"Congratulations, Byaku-chan." Makoto said, grinning at the girl. He was somewhat surprised as well, but was happy for her- Byakuya never reacted so excitedly when it came to getting exam results before.

Byakuya just nodded gleefully; she still didn't trust herself to speak without squealing like an 11-year old at a teen idol concert. She was that happy.

The best part?

"Question 17: Why was Kojiro Date preferred by Yoshihime for succession of the throne?"

So much for not coming out in exams. She was so gonna rub this in Nagisa's face later on.

* * *

"Mako-chan! Haru-chan! Bya-kun!" The cheerful voice of Nagisa rang out across the classroom of 2-1, catching the attention of all the class' occupants. "Hello! Take a look at this!"

"Hey, wait, Nagisa-kun!" Rei cried out as the enthusiastic blonde pulled him along into the class, stumbling as he did so. He and Nagisa had been getting along on better terms now, but the boy's hyperactive and friendly was something he still wasn't quite used to. He was definitely a lot more patient with Nagisa than before, but it still took some adjusting to.

"Ta-da!" Nagisa proclaimed as he approached the three upperclassmen. He placed the booklet he had been carrying onto the table, opening it for them to see. The three of them- who were all seated around Makoto's table- peered at it curiously.

"Uniforms?" Makoto asked. The booklet depicted a bunch of patterns and fabrics that could be used to make a sports uniform, and it also offered to make individual designs as well.

"Yep! We have a swim club now, so we should all get matching uniforms!" Nagisa enthused.

"That's a good idea." Makoto mused, placing a hand on his chin. "It'll give our club more of an official feel."

"Well, it would be sort of cool." Byakuya commented.

"I know right! I think we should go with this design, and this colour!" Nagisa said enthusiastically. "And we can even use an image in addition to the school emblem!"

Here, Rei interjected, raising a hand to gain attention. "Are you thinking of putting Iwatobi-chan there?"

"Well, yeah, that was the idea." Nagisa replied, pink eyes blinking curiously.

"But it's not beautiful." Rei sighed, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Gotta agree with Ryugazaki-san on that one. Our mascot is pretty disturbing." Byakuya added.

"You're actually a real scaredy-cat, aren't you, Bya-kun?"

"I am not."

"You nearly ran up a tree when you saw a rat."

"...Shut up."

"I think Samezuka's design incorporates a shark and a katana." Makoto interrupted smoothly upon seeing how Byakuya was getting embarassed. She shot him a grateful look in response.

"Yeah, theirs is pretty cool! We could put a real rockhopper penguin on ours, then!" Nagisa suggested. "What do you think, Haru-chan?"

The raven-haired teen simply took out his sketch pad and started drawing on it. The others watched on curiously as he finished the drawing and showed it to them without uttering a word. It was an intricate sketch of the Iwatobi mascot, complete with three-dimensioning and shading. It looked pretty damn good.

"B-beautiful" Rei muttered. Byakuya actually nodded in agreement- Haru was a wonderful artist.

"Great idea, Haru-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed. "All we need to do now is ask Gou-chan for permission to use the club budget!"

* * *

"No."

Nagisa let out a cry of disappointment as Kou snatched the booklet out of his hands and tossed it aside.

"Forget about buying matching uniforms for now." Kou said, brandishing her own piece of paper for them to see. "Here!"

"Is that a new training regimen?" Makoto inquired.

"Yep! I revamped the regimen to account for the fact that Rei-kun can't swim." Kou explained as they all leaned closer to get a better look at the new schedule.

Byakuya raised an appraising eyebrow- the new regimen was rather well-done, it balanced out their excercises very nicely.

"You really know what you're doing, Kou-chan." Byakuya commented. "Given that you've only just started doing this... this is almost professional planning."

Kou flushed slightly in happiness at the praise she was receiving. She had really done her research and took a lot of Seijuuro's advice to heart when she was learning the proper way to plan a training regimen. It was nice to know that all her hard work had paid off- she really wanted to help out her club as best as she could.

"Thank you, Byakuya-chan." She said primly, trying to remain calm and cool.

"Rei-kun!" Kou suddenly called, gaining the bluenette's attention.

"What is it?" He responded.

"Given how much time we have left until the regional tournament," Kou said, flipping through her small notebook. "You have to learn how to swim within a week." She declared, closing her book and giving Rei a serious look.

"Within a week?" Rei laughed at the notion, waving it off. "That's conceptually impossible-"

"This is no laughing matter!" Kou said angrily, glaring at the boy as she stepped up to him, making Rei cringe.

"Yes, ma'am!" He squeaked out fearfully.

"If you fail, you'll never be able to complete this training regimen!"Kou said determinedly, showing him the piece of paper again.

Rei started sweating profusely. Women could be terrifying.

* * *

"You actually found the time to write a seven-day countdown in calligraphy." Byakuya commented idly. Kou had indeed done so, and had hung the countdown calendar near the pool. It was almost scary how sophisticated the maroon-haired girl liked to make things.

"Of course! What kind of manager would I be if I couldn't do something as simple as this?" Kou stated proudly.

"Well, I guess we're lucky to have you then." Byakuya smirked, patting Kou's head playfully. The younger girl just mock-glared at her and swatted her hand away. After that, the two girls returned their attentions to Rei, who was standing in the pool with Nagisa. They were going to try and teach him the regular swimming styles to see which one he'd be able to pick up on. Since they were all pretty well-versed in different techniques, they were going to have Rei try them out one by one.

"I'll go first!" Nagisa announced. "I can teach you the frog style!"

"The breaststroke. Or breast, right?" Rei said, adjusting his goggles. Byakuya had noticed that the boy had a particular way of pushing up his glasses- by stretching out his whole hand and fixing the position of the frames by pushing them up from each side. The same habit had gone into the adjustment of his goggles as well.

"You've done your homework, Rei-chan!" Nagisa praised. The blonde was quite an encouraging teacher, really, whether it was in swimming or studies. Patient and praising, while never pushing too much stress onto the learner, he was an excellent tutor.

"I've learned all the concepts." Rei said, none too proudly. His ability to study any subject to a fine point was his forte, and was what made him great in academics. Parctical work was another story, though. "I just need to figure out how to make it work, that's all."

"Then let's start with your legs!" Nagisa said, offering his hands to Rei to observe his kicking. Rei complied, and did as he was asked.

"Wow, Rei-chan! Your form is perfect!" Nagisa enthused as the Ryugazaki boy performed the frog kick flawlessly.

"Naturally." Rei said, smugly. His perfect form was yet another thing he prided himself on.

"I'm going to let go, then." Nagisa said, slowly releasing the bluenette's hands to allow him to swim on his own.

"Go ahead." Rei replied, moving his arms undef to attempt the breaststroke.

At first, it looked like it would turn out okay, but then...

"Wow, your stroke is also perf-"

...Rei was performing the stroke, but wasn't moving from his position. He was also sinking.

The boy had to stand up again to breathe, and the others just stared in slight disappointment. He looked like he was so close...

"Why?" Rei pondered out loud, placing a hand on his chin. He had performed the stroke perfectly and followed the theory precisely, so why hadn't it worked?

"Maybe breast isn't your thing." Byakuya suggested, walking closer to the edge of the pool. "Some people find the breaststroke pretty slow and difficult to maintain, so maybe you should try for something else."

"You mean people like you, Bya-kun?" Nagisa asked cheekily.

"Don't rub it in." The girl grumbled in response, crossing her arms. Breaststroke one of her weaker strokes, and she hardly ever used it. As for Nagisa, the breast was his best swimming style, and he was really fast with it too- something Byakuya envied.

"We need to get back on the training regimen, though." Kou said, looking at her watch. "So, Nagisa-kun, you keep trying to teach Rei-kun. Everyone else, back to training!"

"Yessir! " Byakuya said, mock-saluting.

Kou kicked her in the shin.

* * *

"I'm up next." Makoto declared the following day. Nagisa's attempt to teach Rei the breaststroke hadn't gone too well, and now they had six days left to teach Rei to swim. "If you're having trouble with breast, we can start with back."

The other swimmers were sitting by the sidelines, watching the other two teens as they dangled their feet in the cool water.

"With the backstroke, you keep your head above the surface, so it's easier for people who are scared of water." Makoto explained.

"I'm not scared of water." Rei said simply. It was true; he wasn't scared, simply unaware of how to swim, that was all.

Byakuya had stopped swirling her feet in the water at Makoto's comment and bit her lower lip. Scared of water...

Several images came into her head- a small vase filled with wildflowers in the garden of the Tachibana household. A young Makoto and her feeding two goldfish swimming around in a fishbowl. Makoto's hands shaking as he grasped onto Haru's and her own.

Her clasped hands tightened slightly and she looked up at Makoto, who was nonchalantly getting Rei to lie on his back in the water, giving him pointers on how to begin the backstroke. With how sturdy and kind he looked, one would never have guessed he carried such a dark burden on his shoulders.

She turned to look at Haru and caught his eye. Apparently she wasn't the only one having a small walk down memory lane at Makoto's words...

"He knows how to float." Nagisa commented, bringing their attention back to Rei.

"Naturally. I wasn't in optimal condition yesterday." Rei justified. Byakuya couldn't help but roll her eyes at the statement, smiling slightly. She was starting to get used to the bluenette's quirks.

"I'm gonna let go, then." Makoto said.

"Go ahead." Rei replied as Makoto did so.

...Unfortunately it was just a repeat of what happened yesterday- Rei performing the stroke, yet sinking and not going anywhere. He had to stand back up again.

"What am I doing wrong?" The bluenette mused, getting more and more frustrated.

"This is hopeless." Nagisa said despairingly, lying on the floor.

"Haru-chan! Teach him how to swim!" Nagisa said, sitting up again.

"No. That requires effort." Haruka replied simply, turning his head away.

"Don't be that wayyy..." Nagisa whined, putting his head on Haruka's shoulder pleadingly. The stoic boy wouldn't budge.

"Bya-kun..." Nagisa continued, looking at the girl with innocent wide eyes. "Why don't you try?"

"I dunno, Nagi-kun... I'm not really a good teacher..." Byakuya said, scratching her cheek awkwardly. It was true- she had a different way of teaching people, and it wasn't exactly effective for those who weren't quite capable. But they really needed this, and if she could help in any way...

Damn that Nagisa for pulling that pitiful look.

"...but I'll try." She relented. Nagisa gave a whoop and tackled her with a hug.

"Yay, Bya-kun!" He cheered enthusiastically. Byakuya grunted slightly from his weight, but smirked and pushed him off.

"Think of it as thanks for helping me pass my History exam." She said. "Ah, that reminds me..."

"Eh? Wh-"

But before he could finish, Byakuya had pushed Nagisa into the pool, grinning mischievously.

"What was that for, Bya-kun?!" Nagisa spluttered as he surfaced. That had caught him totally off guard.

"That was thanks for helping me get a B for my History test!" She replied, still grinning.

"How is that being thankful?" Nagisa complained.

"Good shove."

"Not you too, Haru-chan!"

"You're welcome, Nagi-kun!"

"Are they always like this?" Rei asked as he and Makoto observed the whole scene. Mako just smiled.

"Pretty much. You'll get used to it. Anyway, you wanna try again?" Makoto inquired.

"Very well. I will get it this time." Rei responded determinedly.

He didn't get it that time. Or the next. Or the one after that. In the end they gave up and decided to try again the following day.

* * *

"Well we definitely aren't getting any swimming done in this weather." Byakuya sighed, holding out a hand to catch the falling rain. It was really pouring down today, and the weather wasn't lightening up.

"Well, it can't be helped." Makoto commented, slightly disappointed as well. They were already short on time as it was, and this wasn't helping.

"We can't let this day go to waste!" Kou declared, smacking her fist into her palm. "We should have a meeting today! To discuss our next course of action!"

"But we don't have a club meeting room." Nagisa said. "Where else are we gonna have enough space to discuss our plans without getting interrupted?"

They all paused to think for a moment before simultaneously turning towards Haruka and Byakuya. The two teens cringed under the others' scrutiny.

"Haru's place is nearer." Byakuya said immediately. The boy gave her an exasperated look- his place was seriously becoming the unofficial meeting joint for their little group, and it had been done without his consent, exactly.

He was sort of disgruntled, but to be honest, he really didn't mind. The company wasn't all that bad.

* * *

"Okay!" Nagisa announced as the members of the swim club gathered around Haruka's dining table. "Let's begin the "Figure Out Why Rei-chan Can't Swim" meeting! Anybody have any thoughts?"

Rei sat at the head of the table, brow twitching in annoyance. Could Nagisa have put it any more bluntly?

"The water doesn't like him." Haruka suggested. Byakuya choked on her drink and Makoto started patting her back to help her cough it up.

"Poor Rei-chan." Nagisa sympathized.

"That can't be the reason." Makoto said exasperatedly.

"Maybe he's athletically challenged." Kou suggested.

"Nope." Byakuya commented, finally gathering herself together. "Can't be. You saw how he was on the track field."

"Yep. Rei-chan's really fast." Nagisa added. "And he does really well on tests, too."

"So you must be smart." Makoto mused.

"Maybe it's his diet."

"Do you like mackerel?"

"DHA..."

"I know! His head is too heavy!"

"All that studying has enlarged his brain!"

"That's impossible."

"How would you know, Bya-kun? You don't study at all!"

"The brain's size doesn- did you just call me an airhead?"

"Well-"

"That's enough!" Rei finally yelled as he stood up, his patience having grown thinner with each comment the others made. "The problem is the way you guys teach! If I had a proper coach, I would be fine!"

For some reason, Rei's comment stung Byakuya slightly. A proper coach... like her mom had been.

Thw girl sighed, rubbing her forehead in irritation as she forcefully shoved that thought to the back of her head. "Alright then. Proper coach. Any coaches we know?"

Makoto pondered upon the question for a moment. "A coach..." He gasped as he got an idea. "There is a coach!"

* * *

"What?" Goro Sasabe exclaimed in confusion. He had been called to deliver pizzas to Haruka's home address, and had found himself pulled into the household itself by his former students when he had arrived. "You want me to teach a kid who sinks like a rock? Just because I used to be a coach?"

"Pretty much." Byakuya replied through a mouthful of pizza. Even in the company of others, she never really felt the need for table manners unless they were in public. Nagisa held no such reservations either as he happily munched on two pizzas at the same time.

"I object." Rei cut in curtly. "I can float, so I do not sink like a rock. A more accurate analogy would be to call me a submarine."

Byakuya really had to learn to stop ingesting food and drink during conversations. Makoto patted her back again when she choked on her pizza.

"Hey, Goro-chan." Nagisa said pleadingly, taking a bite of pizza with each word he said. "We want you to teach him how to swim."

"Don't talk and eat at the same time!" Coach Sasabe said exasperatedly. He stood up as he got tired of the students' begging. "I'm a very busy guy. Why don't you teach him? Goodbye."

And he just walked out and left them around the table, staring after him.

"Didn't work..." Makoto said despondently. Nagisa didn't seem to have any particular qualms about the whole thing and just reached for another slice of pizza, much to Kou's apprehension. She was absolutely stumped at how the boy could store so much food inside that tiny body of his.

Byakuya just sighed and mimicked Nagisa's actions. Food always made things better.

And damn. This pizza was good.

* * *

Byakuya idly paced the hall of her living room as she held the cell phone to her ear, waiting for the person on the other end to pick up. She hadn't called him in a while now...

"'Bout time, Turtle. Text messages don't really cut it."

Byakuya laughed at the sound of the familiar voice. "Don't I even garner a 'hello', brother dearest?"

"Eff that."

"I missed you too." She laughed again, the voice on the other end joining her.

"So, how's the swim club business going?" Aoi asked. Despite the long distance, he and his sister kept in touch and updated each other regularly on their lives. The siblings held no reservations when it came to talking about their problems, so Aoi was pretty up-to-date on his sister's situation,

"Eh, it's fine. Ryugazaki-san still can't swim though. We don't really know what to do now..."

"Hm. Yeah, that guy sounds like a tough case. Though from the way you described his pole-vaulting, I thought he would've picked up quickly."

"Yeah, well, I guess he really is more land-inclined."

"Heh. Well, if you ask me, the butterfly just needs to up his game. Anyone can swim."

"Butterfly?"

"Graceful, prides himself on beauty, can't swim, flawless form... you tell me that doesn't remind you of a butterfly."

"You haven't even met the guy and you already found a term to describe him so perfectly." Byakuya laughed again.

"Well, what can I say? I'm a genius."

"Yeah, yeah. You keep telling yourself that. How're things with Ayase-chan, by the way?"

"Eh, it's all good. We talk, we fight, we make out on the couch..."

"Okay. Stop right there." Byakuya interjected, shivering at the thought of her brother making out with his long-time girlfriend, Ayase Nanami.

"You asked!" Aoi laughed. "But seriously, it's all good. Maybe I'll pop the question once I'm stable enough. Maybe."

"Special lady, huh?" Byakuya smiled. She had only met Ayase on a couple of occasions, but she was a nice person. Her brother had found a keeper.

"Yeah. But my love life definitely isn't as interesting as yours. Any progress with Orca?"

"Stop calling him that!" Byakuya said, flushing slightly at the mention of Makoto- or "Orca", as her brother so kindly nicknamed. Aoi had a habit of doing that- naming people after animals. Byakuya questioned her brother's sanity pretty often, but if Ayase was fine with dating a guy like that, then whatever.

"No need to get so protective over your boyfriend, Turtle." Aoi teased.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Betcha wish he was."

"I will hang up on you."

"Don't be that way! Oh fine, how're things with Makoto?" He rephrased, emphasizing the last word.

"Better. And we're just the same as always."

"Neither of you have made a move? Boring."

"Well excuse me for not making my feelings known in a grandeur fashion."

"More like any fashion whatsoever. C'mon, someone's gotta make the first move."

"I can't do that! I'll get all weird and stuff! And I don't even know if he likes me back."

"Of course he does! You're awesome!"

"You're my brother, idiot. You're obligated to say that even if I looked like a sack of potatoes."

"You saying you don't already do?"

"Shut up."

Another laugh. "But seriously, though. You gotta try and drop a few hints, at least. You don't want to regret not doing anything until it's too late."

Byakuya sighed and rubbed her forehead again. "What if I mess up? For all I know it could just be another 'Haruka Nanase' phase again."

"You might be surprised. Think about it, Turtle."

"I might." She would.

"Heh. Atta girl. Well, it's getting pretty late, so... any thing else you wanna talk about?"

Here, Byakuya paused for a moment. "...Do you think I'm like her, Ao-nii?"

"What?"

"Mom. Do you think I'm like her?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Aoi replied.

"You're not her, Byakuya. You're you, and you should always be proud of that. You know that, right?"

Byakuya bit her lip again, contemplating her brother's words. That was what she had been telling herself over and over again, but still...

"I wish I was more like her, Ao-nii." She confessed. "I wish... that I could be stronger. That I knew what to do."

"You don't have to be more like mom to do that. Sometimes you gotta carve your own path with your own hands, you know?"

"...Okay. Thanks, aniki."

"Anytime, Turtle."

"Goodnight."

"Rest easy."

And he hung up. Byakuya exhaled loudly and ran a hand through her hair. She had wanted to talk to someone about that for a while now, and while it was good to take it off her chest for a bit, she was still just as confused as before.

Ever since she was a child, Byakuya had looked up to her mother. The woman who had raised her had been a perfect role model, one who always provided for her and Aoi despite how tough things were for a single parent. Mikasa had never failed either of her children, not until the day she died. The period during which her mom was sick had been an absolutely terrifying time for the young Byakuya- to see her strong, independent mother weakened and fragile... it had truly scared her.

That was why Byakuya had run in the first place; why she had left behind all her cares and worries. What she feared the most was that she would be unable to live up to what people expected of her- to disappoint others. She longed to be the person her mother was, one who was strong enough to take on the expectations of others and deliver. Rei's words from earlier that day had indeed hit close to home, because she was worried that she wouldn't be able to teach him properly when her turn came- that she wouldn't be good enough.

She let her head fall into her hands as she let out another dreary sigh. This was a horrible way to end the day.

* * *

AN: Second chappy in a row that ends with teen angst. Lovely stuff. Woots. I'll make it up to you guys; after all, I think we all know what's coming next chapter... das right. Swimsuit time. The day the Free fanbase lost their ovaries. On a side note, we finally get an appearance (sort of) from Aoi! He'll be playing a somewhat important part in the story later as well, but for now we're stuck with phone calls and a shipping sibling xD

Cyber cookie giveaway to Savage Kill for reviewing this fic again, and Thug Seme Senpai as once more for adding my profile to your alerts and favourites! Ya'll are just too sweet ;w;


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"I finally know the reason why I can't swim!" Rei declared as he stood by the pool the following day. They were down to four days for him to learn how to swim, and so his proclamation piqued the others' interests immediately, halting their swimming for a moment.

"Really?" Nagisa exclaimed.

"You figured it out?" Makoto asked excitedly.

"Thank goodness." Byakuya muttered as she floated on her back in the water. She was pretty sleepy from staying up late again last night, and had gotten tired quickly after a few warm-up laps. Damn all these philosophical thoughts again.

"The answer was right under my nose!" Rei continued. "The answer is..."

"The answer is...?" Makoto and Nagisa repeated in unison as Rei paused, waiting for his answer intently. Haruka didn't say anything- simply submerging himself up to his nose in the water as he gazed emotionlessly at the flamboyant bluenette.

"My swimsuit!" Rei finished loudly, pointing at the yellow speedo he was wearing. "This speedo is to blame!"

Everyone deadpanned. Byakuya was barely able to let out a bark of laughter before she ended up floundering in the water from the loss of buoyancy.

"...I let you borrow that, right? That's kinda mean." Nagisa commented as he and Makoto got out of the pool and stood in front of Rei. Makoto looked more than a little bit confused at the statement.

"It's not mean!" Rei exclaimed, making Nagisa jump slightly. "The problem is that this speedo is not streamlined for my body, I think! I haven't crunched the numbers yet!"

"He's really big on sticking to form, isn't he?" Nagisa mused as the bluenette ranted about his yellow, penguin-patterned speedo.

"Well, I don't see why he can't buy a new swimsuit." Makoto pointed out logically.

"Yes, please. Get him to wear something besides that monstrosity." Byakuya groaned.

Haruka couldn't help but nod slightly in agreement. Nagisa's old speedo was a bit disturbing when it was worn by the bluenette.

* * *

"So why didn't Miss Ama-chan come with us to buy his new swimsuit?" Makoto asked curiously. The Iwatobi bunch were all on a train and were headed to a local store to buy some new swimming gear. Makoto and Rei were standing while the others were sitting comfortably on the carriage seats.

"She worked for a swimsuit maker in Tokyo, right?" Kou mused.

"Well, I did ask her, but..." Nagisa then proceeded to relay the incident of how Miss Amakata had told him that she had something to do that Sunday. And how there were loads of other brands. And how she had her reasons. And how she wouldn't be able to provide an objective perspective.

"What's with the flurry of random excuses?" Rei deadpanned. The others all wore similar expressions on their faces, clearly thinking the same thing.

"Maybe she really is a 60 year-old tranny and she doesn't want her secret to be revealed." Byakuya said thoughtfully.

The others all gave a sigh at that.

* * *

"There are a lot to choose from." Kou mused as she looked through the racks and racks of swimsuits. There were various designs and cuttings available for any swimmer to choose from- the place was very well-stocked.

"Fluid mechanics would tell you that Reynolds numbers and boundary layer theory are the key points." Rei stated knowledgeably as he walked down the aisles of swimsuits and looked through them. "But I believe the colour also plays a psychological role."

"I'll also need some prescription goggles. Blurry vision may be another reason for my difficulties." Rei continued.

"You can't see without your glasses?" Nagisa asked as he came up behind the Ryugazaki boy and lifted his red frames off his face.

"Wai-"

But Nagisa had already taken hold of Rei's glasses, and was posing dramatically while wearing them on his own face.

"I haven't learned any of the concepts!" Nagisa said dramatically as he mimicked Rei.

"Hey, Nagisa-kun! Give them back, you're going to hurt your eyes!" Rei exclaimed as he chased after the Hazuki boy, who pranced away mischievously.

"It's almost scary how uncanny that impression was." Byakuya commented as she browsed through another rack of swimsuits on the other end of the aisle.

"Nagisa-kun is very good at imitating others." Kou agreed.

Haruka and Makoto were browsing through the rack beside the two girls, looking for swimsuits of their own. Haru had picked out and was comparing two black, knee-length numbers with purple patterns running down the sides. They looked nearly identical, and suspiciously like the ones he already had...

"I'm trying this on." He declared as he finally chose one and headed towards the changing rooms, leaving Makoto staring after him with a deadpanned expression.

Kou didn't see anything wrong though, and asked innocently. "Oh, Haruka-senpai's also looking to get a new swimsuit?"

"I don't think 'new' is exactly the right word, Gou-chan." Makoto commented.

"Well, I suppose... it does look a lot like his regular swimsuits."

"I don't see what's wrong. That swimsuit was totally fine." Byakuya said, comparing two black kneeskins which closely resembled each other- not much different from what Haru had been doing earlier. "Now which one do you think looks better?"

Makoto and Kou sweatdropped as they stared at Byakuya, who was honestly waiting for their opinion. Her absent-mindedness was astounding.

* * *

"Are you finished changing?" Nagisa called out as he and Makoto stood outside the changing rooms, waiting to see what Rei had chosen.

"It's clear that this fits me much better than a speedo." Rei declared as he opened the changing room curtain, showing off his new... rainbow-coloured swim pants.

"Rainbow?!" Makoto blanched.

"A rainbow for Rei?" Nagisa joked lightly, earning a loud groan from inside another one of the changing rooms.

"Of all the puns you could think of, Nagi-kun... Really?" Byakuya's voice rang out.

"It works!" Nagisa defended. Byakuya just sighed.

"I'm accounting for the fact that each colour has a different psychological impact!" Rei declared.

"So you don't care how it looks?" Makoto deadpanned.

The door to the next changing room opened then, and Byakuya stepped out to take a look at Rei's swimsuit.

"Wow. And I thought what Nagi-kun's sisters put me in was bad." She deadpanned.

"Excuse me?!" Rei exclaimed, eyebrow twitching as he faced the female senior.

"Did you just bring along your old swimsuit, Bya-kun?" Nagisa cut in curiously, referring to the swimsuit Byakuya was wearing.

"Of course not! This one is obviously new!" Byakuya retorted.

"It looks exactly like your old one." Makoto said simply. His face grew slightly hot when he saw her, though... did she always have that figure?

"Men are hopeless." Byakuya sighed.

"I don't really see a difference either, Byakuya-chan!" Kou called out.

"You traitor."

"I'm done changing." Haruka's voice suddenly rang out, catching all of their attentions.

"What do you think?" He asked as he stood in the swimsuit he had chosen.

"Wow, I can't tell how it's different from his regular swimsuit." Makoto deadpanned.

"Isn't it the same?" Nagisa asked.

"No. I like the way this one fits better." Haruka said, a content look on his face.

"I know right?" Byakuya said happily. "The cutting of these swimsuits is definitely more fitting. And that pattern looks nicer, too."

Haruka just nodded in agreement while Makoto's eye started twitching. Nagisa just stared in wide-eyed fascination. This was gonna be an interesting day...

"Mako-chan! Let's go try some on too!" Nagisa said enthusiastically, dragging Makoto by the arm.

"What? I have to join in?" Makoto said exasperatedly.

"C'mon Mako, you said you were looking for a couple yourself- plus, you really need something that's not orange." Byakuya added.

"There's nothing wrong with my colour choice!" He made a small note to choose a different colour, though...

"C'mon, get moving!" Nagisa said impatiently.

And so, Makoto was dragged along for the ride partially against his own will by a certain blonde.

As they all continued on to find more swimsuits, Kou was busy watching all of them from her seat, hands over her mouth in an attempt to restrain her squeals. This all seemed too good to be true...

'Changing rooms and muscles... now there's a nice combo you don't see everyday!' She blushed as she thought to herself. The girl was having the time of her life.

* * *

"Wait, you're going with that?!" Kou exclaimed.

"Yeah, why not?" Byakuya said confusedly as she put aside the black kneeskin with yellow stripes running down the sides. She really liked that one, and it was slightly different from her normal plain black swimsuits.

"What's with you and dark colours? You're always wearing such monotonous clothing!" Kou pointed out, gesturing to the grey hoodie and slacks Byakuya was wearing.

"Swimsuits aren't supposed to be colourful, Kou-chan." Byakuya said simply, ignoring the younger girl's comment on her wardrobe choice.

"Can't you choose something that compliments your body more?"

"I can't exactly pull off the feminine look, Kou-chan."

"But you've got a bigger chest than I do!"

"Don't point that out so loudly in public!" Byakuya hissed, her face turning red.

Kou wasn't having it, though. She huffed and immediately took the swimsuit from Byakuya's hands, placing it back on the rack and taking out a blue one-piece with green patterns on the front.

"You're gonna buy something different for once. Try this one on." She said petulantly.

"But I always go with black suits." Byakuya protested.

"Try it on."

"I really don't want to expose my legs if I can help it..."

"No excuses."

"I'm n-"

"TRY IT."

"...Okay." Byakuya peeped out fearfully as Kou growled out the last sentence. Looked like she wasn't getting out of this one...

She was still getting that kneeskin when Kou wasn't looking, though.

* * *

"Why do women have to be so scary..." Byakuya mumbled as she modeled the swimsuit Kou had picked out.

"Are you actually wearing colours, Bya-kun?!" Nagisa exclaimed.

"Shut up."

"But it looks good." Makoto commented appraisingly. "That colour suits you."

"...Thanks, I guess." The girl grumbled, flushing slightly at the compliment as she made a mental note to purchase this one too. After all, if Mako thought it looked good...

Damn her girly crush to hell.

* * *

"Ta-da!" Nagisa enthused as he came out of the changing room in a pair of red and white patterned swim briefs.

"Oh, that looks good." Makoto praised.

"You'd never think those legs could kick an elephant to death." Byakuya muttered as she glanced at Nagisa's slender limbs.

"What was that, Bya-kun?"

"Nothing."

* * *

"D-does it look funny at all?" Makoto asked as he tried out a black bodysuit.

"You're rocking it, Mako-chan!" Nagisa enthused.

Byakuya wolf-whistled, much to Makoto's embarassment.

"Don't do that!" Makoto exclaimed.

Byakuya just grinned cheekily in response. He really did look great in that swimsuit, though. Hot.

...She was going to pretend she hadn't just thought that.

* * *

Rei posed dramatically with his hands behind his head as he modeled the new swimsuit he had picked out. It was a purple bodysuit that was... adorned with butterflies.

"Butterflies have the psychological-"

"Where did you find that?!" Makoto cut Rei off in the middle of his sentence, blanching at the sight.

"Wasn't that in the women's section?" Nagisa asked.

"They had the same design for both genders." Rei said huffily.

"A purple, butterfly patterned swimsuit. For men." Byakuya deadpanned. The world just got weirder and weirder each day...

* * *

"This is also good." Haruka said calmly as he wore another pair of jammers that looked- once again- just like his normal swimsuits.

"Tell us how it's different, Haru-chan?" Nagisa exclaimed, annoyed yet curious as to what made the swimsuit different.

"You guys are blind." Byakuya commented.

"You're just weird." Makoto sighed. His friends had some of the most peculiar quirks...

* * *

Byakuya was humming to herself as she idly looked through another row of swimsuits. She had already picked out two for herself, but she wanted to look around at more.

As she browsed through the rack, she didn't notice as another person did the same from the opposite side of the aisle as well. Since neither of them had been looking where they were going, they collided into each other near the centre of the aisle, both of them stumbling.

"Oh, I'm sorry-" but Byakuya stopped short when she noticed who it was she had bumped into.

"My apolog-" Nitori cut himself off when he, too, realized who he had accidentally collided with.

"Nitori-san?!" "Shion-senpai?!" They both exclaimed at the same time. "What are you doing here?"

Upon their unintentional synchronisation, they laughed.

"I definitely didn't expect to see you here, Nitori-san. Small world." Byakuya said, grinning slightly.

"Neither did I, senpai. Are you here with your friends?" Nitori asked smilingly.

"Yeah, we're looking for new suits. Ryugazaki-san in particular."

"Ryugazaki-san? The one who couldn't swim?"

"Eheh... that's the one. We're trying to get over the 'can't swim' issue, though."

"Ah, I see. A couple of us from Samezuka are looking to buy some swimsuits too... Matsuoka-senpai as well."

"What?" Byakuya was startled. "Rin-kun's here?"

"Yeah. He went to the changing rooms to try on a swimsuit, I think..."

Byakuya glanced back in the direction of the changing rooms worriedly. Haruka and the others were still hanging around there, too...

"Nitori-san, would you mind accompanying me?" she asked.

"E-eh?"

* * *

"Are you sure you should be doing this, Shion-senpai?" Nitori asked worriedly.

"This could be vital." Byakuya replied.

"What if you get caught?"

"You run- I'll distract them."

"I don't think that concept can apply here, Shion-senpai..."

"Well, what else would you have me do?"

The two teens were standing near the exit of the shopping centre. After a bit of asking around, someone was able to tell them that a redheaded boy and a raven-haired teen had exited the building not too long ago. Byakuya was pretty sure the two were having a long talk right now, and she wanted to listen in on the conversation.

And Nitori was trying to talk her out of it. Really, the boy was way too concerned with his moral ethics.

"Just stay here, Nitori-san. I'll go and do the spying, so you don't have to worry about getting caught. It'll all be on me."

"...Okay, if you say so, senpai."Nitori said uncertainly. He still didn't really approve of this.

"Sorry 'bout this, Nitori-san." Byakuya apologized. She did mean it, but wasn't guilty enough to back away now. She opened the door quietly, making sure her footsteps were silent as well. However, what she saw when she opened the door nearly made her trip over her own feet.

Kou was staring back at her, her red eyes widened in surprise. She immediately raised a finger to her lips, gesturing for the Shion girl to remain quiet. Byakuya understood immediately and didn't question the Matsuoka girl's presence here- they both were probably in this for the same reason.

Kou had had a run in with Seijuuro just outside the sportswear shop when she'd gotten fed up of watching the Iwatobi group change swimsuits for the bazillionth time. She had been getting a drink from the vending machine when the redheaded captain of Samezuka's swim team had spotted her and proceeded to make idle conversation. She had since then been trailing her brother when he found out he was here, which was how she'd ended up out here in the first place. How Byakuya found out as well, she wasn't sure, but that wasn't important at the moment.

The two girls didn't dare peek around the corner of the wall between them and the boys- lest they get caught- so they settled for relying in their ears. Rin and Haru started talking, and the conversation they were about to have was one that none of them- be it the speakers themselves or the spies- would forget.

* * *

"Haru." Rin called out as he leaned against the fence surrounding the large complex. "What have you been doing the last three years? You're better than this."

Haruka was standing a good several feet away from Rin, his posture upright. He was confused as to why his old friend had called him out here to talk, but had complied anyway.

"I'm not better than someone who just got back from Australia." He said.

"Are you mocking me?" Rin said sharply, his head snapping towards the dark-haired boy.

"I'm not. You won our race." Haruka replied honestly.

"It'd be hard not to beat you, given the shape you're in." Rin said snarkily, his tone growing colder.

"A win is a win." Haruka responded, averting his gaze. "You won; isn't that good enough?"

"It's not!" Rin growled back. "I want a real race! Or else... I can't move on."

Here, the Matsuoka boy's gaze fell slightly, and his voice quietened towards the end of his sentence. He gazed despondently at the ground as he admitted his feelings of hesitation. He needed to beat Haruka properly to convince himself that he was better; that he was good enough. He had to- it was all that he knew to do.

Haru just stared at the maroon-haired boy, his face bearing an expression of disapproval. What Rin was saying... it completely went against the stoic teen's beliefs- to swim was to be free. Rin was pushing Haru to swim for his sake, and it made him almost angry. This was the boy who had brought him to swim in a relay with his friends- the one who had shown him a sight he had never forgotten. Haru had spent so many years worrying and worrying about Rin after their race in middle school, and yet... here he was now, trapping himself like this.

Beyond that frustration, though, Haru couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for his old friend. But what could he do? What if Rin lost again and it made things worse?

"You're a pain." Haruka said bluntly as he started walking away. "I only swim free. I won't swim for you."

Haruka was set on returning into the shopping complex, but his attempt was cut short when Rin ran after him and grabbed him viciously by the shoulders. The Matsuoka boy shoved Haru against the fence, hands bracing against the sides of the fence to prevent any attempt at escape.

"No." Rin said fiercely, ruby eyes glaring piercingly into Haru's sapphire ones. "You're going to swim for me."

Haruka could only stare back in slight shock at Rin. His friend looked determined, angry... and pleading.

Rin needed this. He truly knew no other way.

Haruka inhaled slowly and he raised his hand, grabbing onto the arm Rin had braced against the fence. The Matsuoka boy started slightly at Haruka's firm grip, but Haru ignored it.

"In that case," He stated calmly. "I want you to promise me something."

"If you lose, don't say you're gonna quit swimming. Don't embarass yourself." Haruka continued as he removed Rin's arm from the fence and walked forth, forcing Rin to take a step back. Haruka's eyes were determined as he gazed at Rin and finished his sentence. "Don't cry if you lose."

No. He would not accept it if Rin cried. Rin Matsuoka was strong, confident, tough. If he dared to cry again... he would never forgive himself.

Rin's expression became even more startled at Haruka's words, but he quickly regained his composure. He grit his teeth and let out a "tch" as he yanked his arm away from Haru's grasp, moving back several paces from the boy.

"I'm not a little kid anymore." He said, glaring at Haruka. "This time, I'll make it clear how different you and I are."

The two of them stared each other down, blue eyes clashing with red. The distance between them as they stood on the field wasn't simply physical- no, they were already so far apart, even without that space separating them. That rift only seemed to keep on growing wider and wider, and what Haruka feared was that the distance between them would be too far to jump.

Rin was the one who broke his gaze first, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked in the other direction of the shopping centre.

"Try to build some muscle before the prefectural tournament. We'll settle things there." He said coldly. "See you at the tournament."

Haruka could only stare once more at Rin's back as he walked away from him, reminded once again of that day all those years ago after their race.

Only this time, Haruka didn't bother trying to stop him.

* * *

The two girls hiding behind the wall were utterly silent after the conversation between Rin and Haru had ended. They were solemn after what they had heard, and were completely still as they contemplated the whole thing.

They might have stood there the whole day, too, if Nitori hadn't decided to emerge from the store at that moment.

"Senpai! Your friends are coming!" He whispered urgently. The other two girls only had time to start at the statement before the doors opened again and the rest of the Iwatobi bunch emerged.

"Oh, there they are!" Nagisa exclaimed, making them all jump.

"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked curiously. They all looked pretty serious before they had interrupted them.

"I-it's nothing!" Kou said immediately, waving her hands in an attempt to dissuade them from asking any more questions.

"You're acting really weird for someone who was doing 'nothing', Gou-chan." Nagisa pointed out plainly.

"We happened to run into Nitori-san, and we came out for some fresh air, that's all. We were just talking." Byakuya interjected smoothly, gesturing to the underclassman at her side. Nitori started slightly at the lie, but played along as he bowed towards the others.

"You're from Samezuka, right?" Makoto asked smilingly. "You here to pick up some swimsuits, too?"

"Uhm, yes. I came here with several of my schoolmates." Nitori replied politely.

"Ah! Is Rin-chan here then?" Nagisa asked excitedly.

"E-eh?"

"Nope!" Kou interrupted again, waving her arms frantically. "Apparently onii-chan stayed back at the school!"

"Aww, man. I was hoping to see Rin-chan..." Nagisa complained.

"What are you all doing out here?" Haruka's voice interjected suddenly as he rounded the corner, startling the three spying teens again.

"Nothing!" They responded in unison.

Haru raised an eyebrow, but made no move to pursue the question. It was none of his business.

"Anyway... Byakuya-chan! We have to go get your swimsuit!" Kou said far too enthusiastically, grabbing the dark-haired girl by the arm and dragging her along. Byakuya, in turn, pulled Nitori in as well.

"Right! C'mon, Nitori-san, we need to get yours too!" She added cheerily.

"R-right on it, Shion-senpai!"

And the three of them practically ran into the shopping centre, leaving four very perplexed teens staring after them.

"Did we miss something important?" Rei asked confusedly.

The others all shrugged.

* * *

"That was close." Kou exhaled, leaning against the wall. That had been more intense and suspenseful than she had expected.

"I hope Matsuoka-senpai doesn't find out..." Nitori said nervously. He was still discomforted by the fact that he had been unable to stop Byakuya from spying on his senior, and was rather worried that Rin would find out what had transpired. It had been, after all, a private conversation that he had been having. He sort of felt obligated to tell Rin about this whole thing, but at the same time, he was also obligated to keep Byakuya's secret, too...

The older girl saw his hesitation and felt immensely guilty.

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely. "If you really want to, you can tell Rin-kun about my spying; I won't hold it against you. You had nothing to do with this, alright?"

"No, it's not your fault either, Shion-senpai." Nitori reassured, making his decision. "You just wanted to look out for your friends, that's all. I won't tell anyone."

"Nitori-san..." Byakuya trailed off, staring at the boy in surprise. Already as it was, he seemed so patient and understanding with Rin as his roommate- which couldn't have been easy- and now, he was trying to reassure her despite how nervous he himself was feeling at the moment. He truly was a nice boy.

"Thank you." She said, smiling at Nitori. "I really do hope I don't get you into trouble for this..."

"No, I don't think you did." Nitori laughed sheepishly.

"You're my brother's roommate, right?" Kou asked curiously. The boy nodded in response.

"Yes. And you're Matsuoka-senpai's sister- I remember you from the practice. Our captain talks about you a lot."

"O-oh? Is that so?" Kou flushed at the new piece of information.

"Kou-chan has an admirer~" Byakuya teased.

"Oh be quiet." Kou shushed, her face still red.

"Anyway..." Nitori cut in hesitantly. "I think I should head back to my schoolmates. I'll see you around, Shion-senpai? Matsuoka-san?"

"Alright then." "It was nice to meet you." The two girls replied in unison, waving at the lavender-haired boy as he walked away. They then proceeded to look back at each other, their faces somewhat solemn.

"So, my brother and Haruka-senpai are going to race at prefecturals..." Kou said slowly, broaching the topic that they had on their minds. The two of them became noticeably more serious as they recalled the situation that the two other boys were in. A race that would decide it all...

"...I don't know what to think." Byakuya admitted, rubbing her hand slowly over her forehead. "This is all just... really complicated. No matter which way it ends, it's going to affect both of them differently. It's just a matter of which outcome will be less... difficult."

The dark-haired girl shot Kou a worried glance. It must have been so much more difficult for the Matsuoka girl to figure out what to do than it was for her. Byakuya was simply a friend of the two; but Kou was Rin's sister as well as manager of the swim team. The internal strife going on inside her head must have been torturous...

"Well, we'll just have to see how it goes, then." Kou said suddenly, startling Byakuya with her firm voice. "It doesn't matter who wins; what's important is what comes after, that's all. No matter how it turns out, we just have to keep supporting them both!"

Byakuya blinked in surprise. Kou seemed so sure, so confident of the decision she had come to... she was a lot stronger than she looked, that girl. She was right- they would just stay by their friends' side all the same, win or lose. The outcome was secondary.

The dark-haired girl shut her eyes and gave a small smile. She had a lot to learn from the younger girl- sometimes the solution to the things you made out to be so complicated were actually rather simple; you just had to be able to see it.

"Well then, that's settled. We'll take things as they come, hm? As long as we stay positive... everything will turn out fine... Right?" Byakuya said, a small smile on her face.

"Definitely!" Kou responded enthusiastically, pumping her fist in the air as she grinned. "Now come on, we're getting you that blue swimsuit!"

"I'm taking that kneeskin too; I don't care what you say." Byakuya said quickly.

"Oh, come on!" Kou said exasperatedly as the two of them walked back towards the aisles of swimsuits.

Unconsciously, the bond between the two girls was strengthened that day- a silent agreement that they would each do their own part in aiding the people they cared for.

In a way, it was the beginning of their own little team.

* * *

AN: Kou is a really great character. I love that she's just so tough and independent... And in case it wasn't obvious; I am a total SeiGou shipper. Sure, I ship Kou with every male in the series ('cept maybe Rin- I personally prefer their sibling-y relationship over a romantic one. And Coach Sasabe, cuz that would be weird) but Captain will always come first. I was thinking of maybe incorporating a couple of subtle SeiGou moments this fic if I can... anyone who would prefer if I didn't? I won't mind if you say you'd rather not- do drop a message or review if you don't.

Also... have I mentioned how awesome all ya'll readers are? Because seriously, ya'll awesome. Just... thank you all so much just for reading this fic! Shout out to Savage Kill again for reviewing, aoisukafu for following and faving this fic as well as adding my profile to your favourite authors list, AmIValid for also adding this story to your favourites and alerts as well as reviewing, and last but not least that one Guest reviewer for your encouraging comment! I actually smile like an idiot while reading all your reviews- ya'll are too sweet... I really don't think I deserve your praise QwQ I'll do my best to live up to your expectations!

Thanks for reading this chappy (which has been published a day early because you guys are awesome xD)! See ya'll on Saturday!


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

They were down to two days now to teach Rei how to swim. As the rest of the Iwatobi Swim Club sat by the poolside, the Ryugazaki boy jumped gracefully onto the starting block, running through his mental checklist out loud.

"Swimming cap, check. Prescription goggles, check. Not a speedo, check." He said to himself. The new swimsuit he had decided on was a black legskin which had blue stripes along the sides. Byakuya had to say- he looked good.

Of course in her opinion, Makoto looked a lot better in his new black, green-patterned legskin, but that may have just been her being extremely biased because of her crush.

But damn, he looked so much better in something that wasn't orange for once.

"He looks like a world-class swimmer from here." Makoto said appraisingly as they watched Rei.

"Maybe he'll actually manage to swim this time." Nagisa commented.

"Yep! I think this might work!" Kou added enthusiastically.

"I should hope so." Byakuya mumbled, her chin resting on her knees, which were pulled up to her chest.

Haruka was silent, but his sapphire eyes keenly observed the bluenette as he dried his hair with a towel.

Rei got into the starting position on the starting platform, arms touching the ground as he prepared to jump off. When he did...

"His entry angle is perfect!" Makoto commented excitedly as the boy dove into the water. The others all looked on eagerly as well, hopeful expressions on their faces.

Rei started performing the breaststroke as he entered the water, but like all the previous attempts, he was sinking and his stroke was getting him nowhere. He gasped for air as he was forced to stand yet again.

"Why?" He exclaimed in surprise and shock. He had tried everything- why wasn't it working?

The others by the edge of the pool despaired. However, a small splash caught their attention as Haruka swam towards Rei. The raven-haired boy surfaced in front of the Ryugazaki boy, shaking the loose water droplets from his hair before he addressed him.

"I'll teach you." He said simply. "You want to learn how to swim, right?"

Rei looked surprised that the senior was offering to teach him, but gratefully accepted it as he bowed. After all, it was Haruka who had inspired him to swim, and it would be a great honour to have him as his teacher. "P-please help me!"

"However," Haruka continued, catching Rei's attention. "I can only teach you free."

Rei seemed taken aback at the statement, trying to understand what Haruka meant. Did he mean the style, or did he mean without reservations, calculations and theory?

Rei guessed it was the latter. He steeled himself as he responded determinedly. "Yes!"

The others stared, surprise evident on their faces. "Haru's going to teach someone how to swim?" Makoto exclaimed.

"Bringing in the big guns!" Nagisa said, grinning at his friends. They all returned his enthusiastic smile, glad for the positive change of events.

That is, almost all of them.

Byakuya's hands gripped her knees tighter as she pulled them closer to her chest, a million thoughts running through her head.

"Free..."

* * *

For the rest of the day, Haruka coached Rei slowly- showing him the arm movements, giving him advice on floating and the like. The watched from the sidelines while they trained, and were noticing small improvements in Rei's basic foundation. He seemed to understand the concept better, and his confidence was growing again.

By the end of the afternoon, Haruka had finished with his teachings and Rei was panting slightly from the training.

"That's everything I have to teach you. The rest is up to you." Haruka said calmly. "Believe in yourself."

"Yes!" Rei said in affirmation. He was sure he could do it now, and had taken every bit of Haru's advice to heart- down to every last word. He put on his goggles and submerged himself in the water, bracing his feet against the wall. Haruka looked on expectantly, and the others did the same as they held their breath in anticipation.

Rei kicked off, going ahead about 2 feet and started with the dolphin kick. He began the frontcrawl stroke, circling his arms in alternation as he did so. It would have been the perfect stroke...

...had it not been for the fact that he was still sinking and getting nowhere.

Haruka's expression darkened noticeably. The others deadpanned as well.

When Rei stood up again for air, he let out a yell that resonated through the skies.

"WHY?" He cried out in exasperation. Couldn't anything work for him?!

"Genius is one percent inspirarion and ninety nine percent perpsiration." Miss Amakata quoted as she stood next to her students, adjusting her hold on her umbrella.

"Isn't that a quote from Edison?" Makoto asked.

"So that means hard work will always triumph over natural talent." Kou stated.

"'Always' is a big word." Byakuya mused thoughtfully, her thoughts going back to Rin. She remembered how hard he worked to get closer to his dream of being an Olympic swimmer, and how in the end, he had lost to Haru in middle school anyway. Did hard work really produce better results?

"I guess he'll have to keep on practicing." Nagisa sighed. The others followed suit. This was tiring...

"However," Miss Amakata continued. "You can also interpret Edison's quote to mean that hard work is nothing without that flash of inspiration." She said sagely, before her voice lightened and she struck a demure pose. "Don't you think?"

"A rejection of hard work?!" Kou exclaimed loudly. Nagisa and Makoto also wore expressions of similar disbelief.

"Not necessarily a rejection." Byakuya mused. "Talent without effort is pointless, and hard work without truly understanding it is the same. One sidedness will result in nothing- you need balance if you are to succeed."

"That kind of interpretation would've gotten you some pretty good marks in your Literature exam, Byakuya-chan!" Miss Amakata said appraisingly.

"It's a general observation." Byakuya mumbled, scratching her cheek awkwardly at the compliment.

"Well, Literature is mostly about general observations anyway." Makoto added kindly.

"My general observations are barely passable then." She scoffed.

"You just need to use your head more, Bya-kun!" Nagisa said cheerily.

"Are you saying I don't?"

"Do you?"

Byakuya pushed him into the pool again.

* * *

Rei sat despondently on the far side of the swimming pool, arms on his knees as he stared idly through the fence of the compound at a butterfly flitting through the flowers. He was absolutely disappointed in himself- it was the first time he had ever failed at something he had tried so hard to achieve, and it wounded him pretty deeply. His confidence was at an all-time low, and he felt too embarassed to face the others because of his failure.

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching him, and looked up to see Haruka standing before him.

"Haruka-senpai..." Rei trailed off. He didn't know what to say to the person whose skills he admired so much. He must be so disappointed in him...

"Do what you want." Haruka said suddenly, catching Rei's attention.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked. He'd been wondering that for a while now- Haruka was always going in about being free, but Rei really didn't understand exactly what that meant.

"Don't think about swimming. Just dive in." Haruka answered simply.

"I don't understand what you mean." Rei said, almost impatiently. What did Haruka expect him to do? 'Just dive in'? How was he supposed to do that when he couldn't swim properly? What would that garner?

Haruka was silent for a while as he contemplated another answer. "Dive in with your heart."

"That doesn't really help."

"Go by your senses."

"Can you stop using abstract expressions?"

Rei gazed back at the ground, his mood growing heavier. "How can I learn to swim as freely as you do?" Rei sighed. It looked like he really didn't understand the concept of freedom that Haruka spoke of, as much as he longed to. It was difficult.

"I'm very frustrated. Why can't I swim?" He asked, his tone melancholy.

Haruka's eyes softened as he heard Rei say that. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if he couldn't swim- the one thing he loved the most. It would kill him. And the way Rei's voice sounded when he'd said that...

"Or else... I can't move on."

...It was just like Rin's, when he had spoken to him yesterday. Lost, confused, pleading.

"...I'm not free either." Haruka stated, his voice almost sad as he said so.

That caught Rei's attention. He looked up at the older boy, not quite comprehending his statement. What did he mean by that? Haruka always looked so happy and at peace when he swam...how was he not free?

The butterfly from earlier flapped its delicate wings and flew towards Haruka, landing on his collarbone. Rei just stared at Haruka in questioning, a silent prompt for him to explain.

On the other side of the pool, Nagisa, Makoto and Byakuya were drying themselves off and were going to head back to the locker rooms.

"What are Haru-chan and Rei-chan doing?" Nagisa asked curiously as he spotted the two boys, intending to head towards them. Byakuya's hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing so, however, and he glanced back inquisitively.

"Nagisa." Makoto called out. "Leave them alone for a while... I have a feeling they have a lot in common."

The three of them looked back at the two boys, and gave a small smile. Haruka had seated himself next to Rei, and while they weren't saying anything for now, they both sat in the exact same positions, wearing the same expressions, too.

"Yeah. I think you're right." Nagisa said in agreement.

Byakuya didn't say anything as she stared at the scene before her, though a small flutter caught her eye. She turned her attention to a small butterfly that was flitting around in front of the two boys, and the gears in her mind started turning.

"Well, if you ask me, the butterfly just needs to up his game."

"Some swimmers use the butterfly stroke as well."

They had tried teaching Rei all the basic strokes that beginners normally learned, but there was one last thing they hadn't tried- the one stroke that was normally reserved for those with more experience; and arguably the hardest to learn. It was also her worst stroke.

Byakuya bit her thumb in contemplation. It was an idea, but what if it didn't work? Edison's quote came back to her mind just then- inspiration and hard work...

Rei definitely had hard work down. Maybe all he needed was another burst of inspiration.

And maybe... all she needed was a bit of hard work.

* * *

That evening, Rei received a text message when he was studying at his study desk. He started slightly before picking up his phone to identify the sender.

"...Byakuya-senpai?" He muttered, somewhat confused. The text message consisted of a few links to several websites, and a written message from Byakuya herself at then end.

"Meet me at the pool immediately after school. We're only gonna have half an hour before practice, so read up, Butterfly-chan."

"'Butterfly-chan'?!" He exclaimed. Where had that come from?

Shaking his head at the weird nickname, Rei ignored it for now and opened one of the links to check it out. When he registered what he was seeing, his eyes widened in surprise.

They were all articles on the technique of the butterfly stroke.

* * *

"Punctual. I like that." Byakuya commented, smirking at Rei as he jogged up the steps to the swimming pool.

"Time is of the essence." He replied simply as he adjusted his glasses, though he appeared somewhat hesitant. "...Are you sure about this, Shion-senpai?"

"We won't know until we try now, will we?" She replied, lowering herself into the pool and gesturing for Rei to do the same.

"But this stroke is said to be the hardest to learn; especially for beginners." Rei continued skeptically as he entered the water as well.

"Normally, yes. But sometimes you gotta try something that goes against the norm, y'know? So whaddya say; you willing to give it a shot?"

Rei considered the Shion girl's words for a while and averted his gaze. After his previous failed attempts at swimming, he was highly doubtful that he could pull this off. And he really didn't want to embarass himself again...

A hand on his shoulder made him look back up at Byakuya. The girl's brown eyes were understanding, and when she spoke again, her voice was soft.

"It's okay to be afraid of failing, Ryugazaki-san- Heaven knows everyone is. But there are times when you just have to take the risk." She said, her brown eyes boring into his own violet ones. "...Sometimes you have to fall a few times before you learn to stand."

Byakuya quietly wished she could take her own advice.

Rei started slightly at the senior's words. He was surprised that she could sense his hesitation about the whole thing, but the way she had said that... he could tell they weren't just empty words- she was speaking from her own experiences. Byakuya suffered from the same anxiety he was feeling, and for some reason, that thought gave him a small push.

"...I understand. Please teach me, Shion-senpai!" He said determinedly.

Byakuya smirked at that. "Good. First thing's first- it's Byakuya. Second thing, did you read up on the stroke?"

"Yes, Sh- I mean, Byakuya-senpai."

"Right. So do you understand the concept behind it?"

"I believe so."

"Demonstrate the stroke for me, then."

"What?"

"Just the arm movements first. Show me what you know, and I'll lead you from there. I need to see what you understand so far."

"But surely my theory would differ from what the proper technique?"

"Ah ah ah," Byakuya tutted, smirking. "Trust me. Just go along with it for now."

As Byakuya guided Rei through the basics of the technique, he found himself surprised at the girl's teaching method- it was completely different from what Haruka and the others had done. Byakuya's way relied more on his own independence than her teaching- that was why she had sent him the articles, to get him to try and understand the concept of the stroke in his own way so that she could conform her guidance to help his technique. She also allowed Rei to add his own touch to the stroke to make it more comfortable for him to use, yet still remaining just as effective.

It was a strange and rather unorthodox way to teach someone how to swim, but Rei found that he could adapt to it quite well. As Byakuya continued to give Rei advice on his swimming, he realized just how observant the senior could be, despite her normally laid back demeanour. It increased his repect for her, and as their lesson progressed, he found it easier to address her by her first name. She in turn did the same.

Luck seemed to be on Rei's side, because right before the actual practice began, he had finally learned how to swim.

* * *

"Since it's come to this, let's have him use a kickboard during the tournament!" Nagisa suggested, brandishing a kickboard he had brought with him for emphasis.

"Do the rules allow that?" Kou inquired as they made their way out of the locker rooms.

"That's an option." Makoto mused thoughtfully. "I don't think the rules prohibit it."

"We're gonna have to look that up!" Nagisa said determinedly.

"Remember to breathe!" Byakuya's voice rang out as the three of them reached the pool, gaining their attention. "Try to move your torso more!"

"Byaku-chan is early today." Makoto commented.

"But who is she talking to?" Nagisa said curiously.

"Oh, someone's doing butterfly." Kou pointed out, gesturing to the figure in the water that was performing the stroke. Byakuya was standing by the side of the pool, occasionally shouting out instructions to the swimmer.

"Is that Haru-chan?" Nagisa inquired.

"But Haru only does free." Makoto pointed out, his own curiosity piqued.

"That's not me." Haruka said suddenly, appearing behind the three of them.

"Haru?!" Makoto exclaimed.

"That means..." Kou and the others gasped in realization as a familiar bluenette surfaced from the water and pulled off his goggles.

"You did great, Rei-kun!" Byakuya praised, a grin on her face as she passed Rei his glasses.

"Rei-chan?!" Nagisa said in surprise, running up to the edge of the pool with the others. "Were you just swimming butterfly?!"

"It was the only stroke I hadn't tried out yet." Rei explained, breathing slightly heavy as he put on his red frames. "Byakuya-senpai helped to give me a few pointers, and once I tried it, I was able to swim."

"What? Why?!" The three of the exclaimed in shock. Butterfly was supposed to be the hardest of all the steokes to learn, and yet this was the one he could do?

"You taught him, Bya-kun?!" Nagisa asked in shock.

"I didn't really do much. He read up on the technique by himself- I only corrected him where it was necessary." Byakuya said nonchalantly. "Plus, you guys taught him the basics."

"But I wouldn't have been able to do it without your guidance, Byakuya-senpai." Rei said humbly, bowing his head. "Thank you very much!"

"Don't need to be so formal." Byakuya said simply, though she seemed to be flushing slightly as she averted her gaze.

Makoto glanced at the girl and smiled, ruffling her hair. She really was horribly awkward with praise- it was a trait he found to be quite endearing.

"But how did you manage to pull it off, Rei-kun?" Kou inquired. "Butterfly is supposed to be really hard."

"Well..." Rei trailed off, glancing in Haru's direction. The raven-haired boy was standing by the side of the pool, observing the same butterfly from yesterday. He held up his index finger, allowing the butterfly to perch on it briefly, a slightly wistful expression on his face.

"I'm not free." Rei finished quietly.

"Did you say something, Rei-chan?" Nagisa inquired.

The bluenette just smiled, shutting his eyes for a brief moment. "No, I can't explain it either."

"Seriously? " Kou sighed.

"Well, I guess it worked out in the end, then." Makoto said happily.

"Hey, Rei-chan! Can you do another lap?" Nagisa asked enthusiastically.

"Sure!" Rei replied with confidence as he put on his goggles and swim cap once more. He was glad to be able to swim- he was able to feel more dignified now.

"Show 'em what you got, Butterfly-chan." Byakuya said, smirking.

"Could you please stop it with that nickname?" Rei said exasperatedly.

"Nope."

"Where'd that come from, Byaku-chan?" Makoto asked.

"I was talking to Ao-nii."

"I see."

"It suits Rei-chan really well!" Nagisa commented cheerily.

"Yep! It fits perfectly!" Kou added.

Rei sighed, but smiled as he shot a grateful glance at his new teammates. He turned back towards the pool, beginning yet another lap. The others cheered him on as he did so, making the smile on his face grow wider. It was really thanks to all of them that he had gotten this far- he would do his best to make them proud.

Byakuya looked on with pride, her happiness for the boy's success evident in her expression. She felt like she had accomplished something- that she had managed to get something right. In the end, she hadn't disappointed him, and that made her happier than anything else.

On the sidelines, Haruka watched Rei swim with a thoughtful expression on his face. Eventually, the corners of his lips turned up in a small smile. He turned his gaze to the two butterflies flying above the pool, watching as they danced in the air, a serene expression on his face.

Perhaps, one day... they could be like those butterflies- able to fly freely through the sky without fear in their hearts.

* * *

AN: So that's that. Episode 4 has come to a close! Next up, episode 5, the episode which ruined our lives for a whole week 8'D. Let me just say that episodes 5-6 were sorta tough to write- not just because of all the action that went on, but also because I am a terribly awkward romance writer (hint hint).

Loads of thanks to Savage Kill and AmIValid again for reviewing (you guys QwQ), LostRealist and DrAnime203 for favouriting this fic, AriaNicole94 for adding this story to your favourites and alerts, and samehime345 for doing the same as well as favouriting and following my profile (PS, big fan of your Snow Queen fic asdfghjkl)! *gives you all cyber huggles* xD

Thank you all for reading this chapter! See you next water time!


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

Byakuya kept her breathing steady as she jogged along the paths not too far from her neighbourhood. She still had about half an hour before she had to leave for school, and so far she had run up to the hill where she and the others had first met up with Kou to discuss the issue of Rin's return to Iwatobi. She let herself smile slightly as she jogged past the familiar rotunda- it seemed like ages ago when things had started like this, though it had barely been a couple of months. Quite a bit had changed since then...

The Shion girl had taken it upon herself to run a kilometer or two every couple of days to help build her stamina back up. Getting up early was still- and always would be- a total pain, but she was gradually getting used to the new routine. She also found herself admiring the lovely view of Iwatobi in the light of the morning sun, and the freshness of the air in the early hours of the day.

It hadn't been quite so lovely that one time when it had started pouring halfway through her run, though. She'd learned to check the weather forecasts every day since that incident.

Byakuya quietly sang along to the chorus of the song she was listening to, the music from her phone blaring into her ears through her earphones. It made a nice pacemaker for her run, and she found it easier for her to maintain a steadier breathing rhythm- another thing she had been working on. A sudden ringing from her cellphone brought her out of her focus though, and she huffed irritably as she paused her music and answered the call.

"Yo." She answered, not bothering to stop her run as she did so. She hadn't really bothered to check the caller ID either- though since hardly anyone else called her up, she figured it would be okay to answer in such an informal manner.

"Shion-senpai?" A familiar voice asked.

"'Morning, Nitori-kun." Byakuya responded. She had started addressing the boy with a more familiar suffix as time went by, though he still insisted on calling her the same thing he always did. They had even started communicating through text messages like normal pals sometimes- regular conversations which weren't entirely focused on Rin."You don't normally call- something up?"

"Ah well, you see, senpai..." Nitori replied. "We'll be going out of town to attend a training camp, and I might not be in touch for a while. I thought I'd let you know, and I hope you don't mind..."

"Nah, it's cool." Byakuya reassured, smirking slightly at how formal Nitori was being- he really was very polite. "Have fun, Pilotfish."

The nickname was yet another result of a conversation she'd had with her brother. She could've sworn his abnormal tendencies were rubbing off on her...

"E-eh? Pilotfish?"

"Don't question it."

"Uhm, okay then. Thank you for understanding, senpai."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're allowed to have your priorities."

Nitori chuckled slightly on the other end of the line.

"You're actually really nice, Shion-senpai."

"No I'm not." The girl denied, flushing slightly at the compliment as she rounded the bend that would take her back down the stairs leading to her neighbourhood.

"But you are!"

"You clearly do not know me."

"You wouldn't have asked me to keep you updated on Matsuoka-senpai's progress if you weren't."

"That's because I don't want the fool to work himself to death." Byakuya said as she reached her front door, panting slightly as she placed an arm on the wall to support herself.

"But that's being nice!"

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for your classes or something?" Byakuya grumbled, trying to change the topic. Nitori laughed again, amused by the girl's vehement denial.

"Alright, thanks for your time, senpai! I'll message you when we get back!"

"Right. See ya." Byakuya replied before she ended the call. She huffed again as she straightened up and took out her house keys, mumbling unintelligibly to herself as she did so.

"Did you have a nice run?"

Byakuya nearly dropped her keys and screamed when she heard that voice suddenly speak out from behind her- she hadn't even noticed that someone was there. Thankfully, her mind registered the owner of the voice before she could do something embarassing.

"Makoto! Don't do that!" She huffed, placing a hand over her racing heart. She still hadn't turned around, but there was no mistaking that voice. Makoto laughed quietly in response, making Byakuya's face flush further as she regained a proper hold on her keys and unlocked her front door.

"Sorry." He apologized sheepishly as they both walked through the door. "I didn't realize that you hadn't noticed me."

"Yeah, well, I didn't. And you're lucky I didn't sock you in the eye." She grumbled. "You're early today."

"I was worried you would have overslept again." He replied nochalantly, shooting the girl a knowing smile.

"I do wake up early sometimes, y'know." Byakuya said blandly as she went into the kitchen and grabbed a sandwich she had made earlier.

"Only sometimes." Makoto teased.

"Don't be an ass." Byakuya laughed.

"Ah, that's right, I meant to ask- who were you talking to on the phone earlier?" Makoto inquired.

"Oh, it was just Nitori-kun. He was informing me that Samezuka's having a training camp."

"'Nitori-kun?'" Makoto repeated, tilting his head slightly. "That guy from Samezuka? When did you get on such good terms with him?"

The girl chewed thoughtfully on her sandwich for a moment before she answered. "I asked him to keep an eye on Rin-kun during the joint practice. We exchanged numbers."

"You gave your contact to a guy you just met?" Makoto asked skeptically.

"He wasn't a stranger on the street, Mako. 'Sides, we need someone to keep tabs on Rin-kun since we can't. Nitori-kun updates me on his condition every now and then."

"Still, you seem pretty friendly with him."

"Well, I think he's cute."

"Wh-what?!"

"What?" Byakuya said confusedly, before she realized what she'd said and started laughing. "Oh, not that kind of cute! I'm talking puppy-dog kind of cute!"

"Oh..." Makoto gave a small sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, Mako- if I ever take an interest in anyone, I'll make sure to run him by you first. You can do a security check, make sure he has no criminal record or anything."

"Criminal record?!"

"You never know."

"Just go and shower already." Makoto said, playfully pushing her towards the staircase. Byakuya laughed as she complied, heading towards her room.

"I'll be down in a few." She called out, before the sound of her door shutting rang out around the mostly empty house.

"Yeah..." Makoto replied to no one in particular, his gaze growing somewhat despondent as he thought over what his friend had said. He was still somewhat uncomfortable that Byakuya had given her number to someone she barely knew; let alone a guy... Did she really think Nitori was cute?

Makoto sighed and placed a hand over his forehead. This crush was ruining him.

* * *

Kou kneeled on the floor, back straight as she faced the large sheet of paper before her. A bottle of ink was placed on her right, along with an ink stone where the ink had already been poured out onto, and she held a large calligraphy brush in her hand.

The rest of the Iwatobi Swim Club stood by the side, watching with mild interest as Kou dipped her brush into the ink.

With a fluorish, Kou began her writing immediately, brush moving in smooth, precise strokes as she did so. When she finally finished, she sat back up with a satisfied hum as she looked at what she had written on the paper.

'48 Days Until the Prefectural Tournament!'

"Gou-chan, you're still doing those?" Nagisa asked curiously. It was rather strange how much detail the girl liked to put into her duties...

"You're really into calligraphy, aren't you?" Byakuya mused, admiring the girl's neat handwriting.

"Can you stop doing that?" Rei asked, his voice exasperated. The girl had to have made at least 50 of those countdown sheets already.

"Pressure is what pushes people to the next level!" Kou defended.

"Pressure can also ruin some people." Haruka pointed out.

"Are you talking about Rei-chan?" Nagisa said cheekily. Rei blanched.

"I'm not that weak!" He said defensively.

"You nearly had a fit when you got an 89 on your Chemistry test." Byakuya commented.

"There was a mistake in the grading scheme! And how do you even know about that?!"

"I have my ways."

"You've been stalking him."

"What?!"

"I'm disappointed that you think so lowly of me, Haru-kun."

"Bya-kun is too lazy to go through that much trouble."

"Exactly."

"We're getting off topic here!" Rei exclaimed, his eye twitching. Makoto let out a small laugh at the conversation they were all having, before a serious issue popped into his head.

"Wait..." he said, placing a hand on his chin as he directed the question at Kou."Why are you wearing a hakama?"

"Maybe it makes her feel more feminine." Byakuya suggested.

Kou glared at them with such viciousness that all the hairs on the back of their necks stood. In less than 3 seconds, the members of the Iwatobi swim team were out of the locker rooms, running for dear life towards the swimming pool.

"Stop talking and go practice!" Kou yelled. "Get going!"

"Yessir!" Byakuya shouted back, a grin on her face. It was always fun to irk Kou- she had the best reactions.

"Honestly..." Kou sighed, her hands on her hips as she stared at the open door of the locker room, where the teens had run out from. Being the manager for these guys was going to give her a head of white hair before the year was out.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the door, billowing the girl's hair and hakama. When she turned around, she exclaimed as she realized that all the sheets of paper she had written on had scattered all over the place because of the wind.

"Oh man! This is such a pain.." She groaned, moving to pick up the papers. There were a lot of them, too...

"What's this?" She mumbled to herself as she spotted something under the mat of the locker room floor. She picked it up- it was a folded piece of paper- and looked it over curiously. Her eyes widened as she realized what she had found.

"This is...!"

* * *

"Look at this!" Nagisa said enthusiastically, showing off the sports jacket he had put on. It was mostly blue and white, with long sleeves and 'Iwatobi' printed across the back. "Our new tracksuits have arrived!"

"Wow, this actually looks really cool." Byakuya mused, lifting up another one of the jackets to get a better look at it. Despite what Kou had said earlier about not allowing them to get matching jackets, a little bit of coaxing on Nagisa's part had settled that problem quickly, even though they had to use their own money.

Byakuya often wondered if Nagisa was a wizard.

"The jackets are nice..." Rei commented, lifting up the back of the one Nagisa was modelling. Underneath, Nagisa was wearing a yellow shirt with a caricature of a penguin and a coconut. "But what is that thing on the T-shirt?"

"That's the secret Iwatobi-chan version." Nagisa explained. "Since you and Bya-kun were against putting Iwatobi-chan on our tracksuits.

"Wait, so there's a secret version?!" Rei asked in surprise.

"Is Iwatobi-chan having an emo phase or something?" Byakuya muttered. The shading and the expression (if you could call it that) of the school mascot certainly made it look more serious and dark than it normally looked.

"You would know, wouldn't you, senpai?"

"Was that sass I heard, Butterfly-chan?"

"Well, let's get started." Mako interrupted, gaining their attentions. "Before we begin practice, let's all review the events we'll be taking part in during the prefecturals. I'll be taking part in the 100m and 200m backstroke. What are you doing, Nagisa?"

"I'm going to swim breast." The blonde replied. "I was thinking the 100m and 200m."

"Byaku-chan?"

"100m free." Byakuya responded. She would be competing in the women's events, which was seperated from the men's, so she would be the only girl representing the swim club. It was sort of pressuring, but it was worth a shot.

"Haru?"

"I only swim free." Haruka said simply.

"Shouldn't have bothered to ask." Makoto chuckled. "And Rei?"

"I can only swim butterfly." Rei said, adjusting his glasses.

"That's right!" Nagisa added cheekily, leaning against the bluenette.

"Anyway, it's been a while since we've competed, so stamina will be an issue." Makoto said. "I recommend sticking to shorter distances."

"Are you guys going to be taking part in the relay as well?" Byakuya asked curiously. Since they had all the members they needed, they could definitely go for it.

"I think we can wait before we make that decision." Makoto said, glancing at Haruka, who had looked away at the mention of the relay. Byakuya nodded in understanding.

"Keep that in mind as we're prac-"

"You guys won't believe this!" Kou's voice rang out excitedly, cutting Makoto off in the middle of his sentence. The girl came running up to the five of them eagerly as she held up a poster. "I found something amazing!"

Byakuya leaned forth to get a closer look at the thing. On the poster was a drawing of what looked to be a beach, with a campfire sitting in the middle of the sand. Huge waves roiling in the ocean served as the backdrop, and large words were printed across the poster.

"Iwatobi High School Swim Club." Makoto read aloud. "Summer Training Camp from Hell on a Deserted Island...?"

"Hell?" Rei said skeptically. That sounded rather over dramatic.

"Deserted island?" Haruka added.

"Someone's been watching too many movies." Byakuya commented.

"Sounds fun!" Nagisa said enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling.

"This took place several decades ago, when Iwatobi still had a swim club!" Kou explained.

"So what's your point?" Rei asked.

"I'm saying we should steal their training regimen and hold a summer training camp on a deserted island! To prepare for prefecturals!" Kou finished exuberantly, striking a dramatic pose as she pointed into the distance.

Byakuya's eyes widened. If they were going to train on an island, then that meant...

The sea.

"Too much effort." Haruka said, sitting down by the edge of the pool. As he did so, he shot a glance at Byakuya, sending her a silent message. The girl understood immediately.

"Yeah. Come on..." Byakuya groaned. "It's a pain in the ass."

"This is no time for complaining!" Kou snapped, brandishing another sheet of paper. It looked like a map of sorts, showing four islands and several directional arrows.

"Look at the regimen they used! They swam long distances in the ocean, from one deserted island to the next! Don't you think this training is perfect for building stamina?"

"The ocean..." Makoto muttered quietly. Byakuya shot him a worried look- Makoto's normally gentle face was downcast, as if a dark cloud had settled over him.

"Yep! The ocean!" Kou said happily.

"I'd rather not." Byakuya complained.

"We have to!" Kou insisted. "What better way to train ourselves than to participate in the same training regimen our storied swim club used?!"

"Our swim club was storied?" Nagisa asked curiously.

"Yeah! Look what I found!" Kou said, bringing out yet another paper- this one listed out a bunch of school names and positions.

"Sixth place in the Iwatobi Junior Tournament?" Rei read out, his voice unimpressed.

"Weak." Both he and Nagisa deadpanned.

"Anyway!" Kou interrupted, albeit annoyed. "What the Iwatobi Swim Team needs now is stamina! And summer is the perfect time to hold a training camp! In the ocean! On deserted islands!"

"Wait, I don't really see the relevance of deserted islands here!" Rei exclaimed.

"But deserted islands make it more interesting!"

"You have any idea how hot it is on islands this time of the year?" Byakuya groaned.

"Don't be such a party pooper, Bya-kun!" Nagisa whined, hanging off Byakuya's arm. "Didn't you say you were going to start taking on your responsibilities?"

"Doesn't stop me from feeling lazy." Byakuya mumbled out, shuffling uncomfortably. Nagisa was right, but... this was a different story.

"You're a hypocrite, Bya-kunnn..." Nagisa whined, shaking her arm. She refused to budge.

"It's your call, Captain!" Kou said, pulling the authority card. If Makoto agreed to it, then the others would have to go along. The three underclassmen all turned to Makoto with expectant expressions, while Haruka and Byakuya stoically kept their gazes on the pool with bated breath- now that the pressure had been placed on Makoto to call the shots, there was really nothing more the two of them could do to interfere.

"Oh..." Makoto said uneasily. His heart was pounding- the decision he had to make would affect not only him; but the others as well. As uncomfortable as he was with the idea... he was their captain, and he needed to do what was best for the team.

"I guess it's a good idea to hold a training camp for prefecturals." He complied, forcing a smile to his face.

"Yippee!" Kou cheered.

"Hurray! It's settled then!" Nagisa said happily.

Haruka didn't move as he sat by the edge of the pool, face blank as he stared at his reflection in the clear water. Similarly, Byakuya's eyes shut briefly, and she muttered a curse under her breath. This could be trouble...

* * *

"The club doesn't have the money for that." Miss Amakata said curtly as she arranged some papers on her desk.

"Then we can get our generous faculty advisor to pay for it!" Nagisa said cheerily.

"Ass-kisser." Byakuya muttered- this time making sure that Nagisa couldn't hear her. She couldn't help but feel an immense relief at Miss Amakata's statement, though.

"I'm not that generous!" Miss Amakata said indignantly, resulting in a sheepish laugh from Nagisa. "Besides, people only get that lucky in TV shows and manga. The Irish playwriter, George Bernard Shaw said it best- 'the book that has had the most influence on my life is my cheque book.'"

"Finally, a quote that speaks to me." Byakuya commented.

"You are a horrible senpai." Kou said exasperatedly.

"Thank you."

* * *

Byakuya idly looked through the fridge in the grocery store they had stopped by at on the way home after school, trying to decide which drink to buy. She finally settled on a can of soda, and made a move to close the fridge door before she noticed Rei standing beside her.

"Oh, Rei-kun." She said, mildly surprised. "Any drink you want?"

"A box of chocolate milk, if you wouldn't mind, senpai." He replied. Byakuya passed him the drink he asked for.

"Not interested in getting an ice cream like the others?"

"I'm not too hungry at the moment."

"I see."

"...Byakuya-senpai, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to ask you something." Rei said seriously. Byakuya raised a brow.

"Fire away."

"Why were you so adamant about not holding the training camp?"

Byakuya paused at that. She quickly thought up an excuse.

"I was serious about it being a pain. We have to arrange for a boat, then there's the issue of where we'd be staying..."

"Still, your reaction was rather... off, senpai." Rei said, pushing up his glasses. "It was unlike you to complain so much."

"Ehe, right... I forgot you were new." Byakuya said sheepishly as she rubbed her forehead. "I used to do that a lot."

"Not quite so much now, though?"

"I guess not."

"So what caused it again?"

Byakuya shifted her footing hesitantly. She cursed Rei's observant tendencies- how was she going to lie out of this one?

Thankfully, that issue was solved for her.

"Bya-kun! Rei-chan! We have to pay for our stuff!" Nagisa called out, turning their attention to the rest of their group. They had already chosen their popsicles, and were waiting for them at the counter.

"Gotcha!" Byakuya replied, walking towards the counter with Rei. He was still giving her an inquisitive look, and she shot an apologetic glance at him.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." Byakuya said, averting her gaze.

"Are you sure about it, senpai?" He asked insistently.

"What were you two talking about?" Kou asked as the two reached the counter. Byakuya jumped on the opportunity to change the subject immediately.

"Pep talk. Rei-kun's actually going through this emo phase." Byakuya responded.

"What?!" Rei exclaimed.

"Rei-chan is depressed?" Nagisa said.

"I am not!"

"Don't be sad, Rei-chan!"

"I'm not depressed!"

"You did that on purpose." Makoto accused Byakuya as the blonde and the bluenette bickered lightly. The girl just shrugged in response- that was what Rei got for the earlier jab. Poetic and almost ironic justice, she had to say.

* * *

"But I really want to go to a deserted island with everyone..." Nagisa said despondently as they all continued their walk home. "If the school won't pay for it, maybe we can try to pay for it ourselves?"

"I can't afford it." Rei said. "We had to pay for the tracksuits ourselves, and I bought a non-speedo swimsuit."

"I also bought a swimsuit." Haruka added.

"Me too!" Nagisa said.

"Rei-kun needed to buy a swimsuit, but the rest of you didn't need to buy one." Kou sighed. "Especially Haruka-senpai; all your swimsuits look the same."

"They fit differently." Haruka defended monotonously. He was sharing one half of a split popsicle with Makoto, and was absently nibbling on it before he had responded.

"You made me buy the blue one." Byakuya accused, making Kou laugh nervously.

"We could all find part-time jobs." Nagisa suggested.

"It's too late for that." Rei rebutted.

"Unfortunately, it looks like this plan's a bust." Kou said disappointedly.

"Maybe not so unfortunately." Byakuya mumbled quietly, sipping on her drink. Next to her, Haruka gave a small "hm" in agreement.

Makoto gazed at the despondent figures of the three underclassmen walking in front of him, his eyes softening. They all looked utterly disappointed, and it made his paternal side kick in, overriding his own worries.

"Wait." Makoto called out, making them stop in their tracks and turn around curiously. "I'll think of something. There should to be a way to arrange a camp without needing money."

"For real?!" Kou and Nagisa said in unison, expressions of pure glee on their faces.

"Mako-chan's getting serious!"

"We can count on our captain!"

Makoto just smiled in response.

Haruka glanced over at his friend, a small frown on his face. What was he doing? They could have just gotten out of this without any fuss after what they had found out... why was he suggesting this?

The black-haired boy returned his attention to his popsicle, taking a somewhat harsher bite out of it than he had intended. He was worried about his best friend, and what this trip could result in for him. He was also somewhat irked at Makoto as well...

He caught Byakuya's eye- from the way her lips had thinned slightly, he knew she was thinking the same thing he was.

Makoto really was too selfless for his own good.

* * *

"Whatcha doing, onii-chan?" Ran asked as she grasped onto her older brother's arm. Makoto was trying to carry out a a large sack of equipment from the closet, grunting slightly from the effort.

"Are you going camping? I wanna come!" Ren added, jumping onto his brother's shoulder.

"I've got a training camp with Haru and everyone else." Makoto said apologetically. "Maybe some other time."

"What? That's no fair..." the twins complained at the same time.

"Byaku-nee~ can't you convince onii-chan to let us come?" Ran implored, turning towards the girl who was standing behind them.

"Sorry, kiddos. Not this time." She said, carrying Ren off of Makoto- the kid was getting heavier, and Mako didn't really need the extra weight on him when he was trying to carry out such a huge bag of equipment.

"Awww..."

"Oh, don't give me that look..." Byakuya sighed. "Tell you what, I owe you guys an hour of video gaming when we get back, okay?"

"Make it two!" Ren compromised.

"Okay, fine. Two."

"And you have to help us beat that boss on level 32!"

"Alright, alright."

"Yes!" The twins cheered, wrapping their arms around Byakuya, disappointment over not being able to attend the camp gone in a flash. Makoto laughed and shot Byakuya a grateful look, which made the girl bite her lip as she looked away. She didn't deserve his thanks, especially since he was doing this for their sakes...

Outside, the rest of the swim team stood idly in the front yard as they waited for Makoto to get the things he needed.

"His idea is to literally camp outside?" Kou asked. "And what do we do about the boat fare to the island?"

"Are we gonna hitchhike?" Nagisa suggested.

"There aren't any cars or trucks in the ocean." Kou said exasperatedly. Rei had by this point stopped listening to the conversation going on around him, and quietly observed the yard he was standing in. It was rather well-kept and the plants were flourishing rather nicely, though something in particular caught his eye.

"What's this?" Rei asked as he made his way towards the thing that had caught his attention. It was a glass bottle filled with water that was placed in front of a big rock, with a bunch of wildflowers placed inside it.

"A grave for goldfish." Haruka answered. "It was Makoto's pet."

"Oh yeah, he had a pet goldfish back in grade school. So this is still here..." Nagisa commented, walking towards the small grave as well, his expression somewhat wistful. He clapped his hands together and said a small prayer for the dead goldfish, and Rei mimicked his actions.

As Haruka stared at his two teammates, his mind wandered back to Makoto. The grave held a lot of importance to his friend, and it was also closely related to the situation at hand- though the others didn't really know that. He wondered how things could be different if they knew the whole truth... it would definitely make them reconsider their options.

But as much as he wanted to make them change their minds, it wasn't his place. It was up to Makoto, and Haru knew there was no way the boy would ever bring up his own worries to the others- his best friend was too kind to place his concerns on them for his own needs. Haruka wanted to talk Makoto out of it, but...

He shut his ocean-blue eyes and gave a small sigh. This was worrisome.

* * *

AN: What's this? An extra update? :0 Haha, okay, jokes aside- extra update today because I have hols this week. Hols= More chapter production= more updates. Woot. The Wednesday update is gonna be sorta short, but I hope I'll make up for it! Also, I was thinking of writing a short filler of sorts about the group during their time on the island (I mean, cmon, those pictures they took are way too inspirational XD) and I was wondering if that would be okay with you guys? Or would you prefer that I get straight to episode 7 after the events of 6? If ya'll are for it, I'll see if I can whip something up- and if you guys would like to suggest any prompts, they'll be greatly appreciated! ;D

Shout out to Savage Kill (as per usual ;D) for reviewing again, keulloi, CallingTheStorm and Ducky the Insomniac Panda (dat username xDD) for favouriting and following this story, and In Love With Rin for doing the above as well as favouriting and following my profile! Ya'll are too sweet 8'D


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"This is some serious equipment." Kou commented as she looked at all the equipment Makoto had laid out. It was a rather impressive set.

"Our family always goes camping in the summer." Makoto explained.

"Does Bya-kun go with you guys, too?" Nagisa asked.

"No, I just hog the Playstation during that time." Byakuya replied.

"Who gave you permission to use my place as storage?" Haruka interjected, his tone somewhat annoyed. He was alright with them using his home as a meeting place, but to store all their junk here was another thing altogether.

"But there's so much space here!" Nagisa said.

"Byakuya lives alone too."

"My house is a mess." The girl said simply. Haruka looked away, disgruntled at the fact.

"Are these all deserted islands?" Nagisa asked as he held up the map Kou had found. "We could camp on a deserted island!"

"That's a bad idea." Rei interrupted, taking the map from Nagisa's hands.

"Yeah. Don't you watch those thriller movies?" Byakuya added. "There's always a bunch of stupid kids in the middle of nowhere involved who get stalked by an ax-murderer or something."

"Aww, c'mon, you guys!" Nagisa said. "We could have a barbeque on a deserted island!"

"Barbeque!" Kou cheered.

"Not even my love for smoked meat is going to convince me to like this." Byakuya muttered.

"Can we just drop this deserted island business?" Rei said exasperatedly.

Makoto just smiled at the scene before he interrupted them. "Now, all we need is the money for transportation." He sighed.

They all fell silent as they contemplated what to do. Byakuya and Haruka were the only ones not doing any real thinking on the issue- though they were silently hoping that this trip would be foiled by the lack of transportation available.

"Do you think Ama-chan has a boat?" Nagisa suggested.

"I seriously doubt it." Rei replied.

"Ah!" Makoto exclaimed as an idea came to mind. "I know someone with one!"

Minutes later, a familiar white pizza delivery vehicle was parked outside Haru's house and an equally familiar delivery man was sitting at the dining table with the six teens again. Coach Sasabe was rubbing the back of his neck as he considered the request the kids were asking for again.

"Yes, I have the old squid-fishing boat left behind by my grandpa. And I have a boating license." He replied. "However...

"You buy me one pizza and expect me to do you a favour like this?!" He said in exasperation, gesturing to the sole pizza box sitting on the table.

"Please help us out!" Makoto said, clapping his hands together in a gesture of pleading.

"We'll also give you this!" Nagisa added, holding out a wooden carving of Iwatobi-chan.

"I don't want that!" Goro exclaimed, making Nagisa jump back in surprise. The coach sighed and thought about it a moment longer before he complied. "Oh fine. I can't participate in your camp, but I can send you there and back."

"Really?!" Nagisa said excitedly.

"Yeah." Goro reponded, somewhat pleased at the happy response he was receiving.

"Yay!" They all cheered, delighted at the news.

That is, almost all of them.

"Dammit." Byakuya muttered, rubbing her forehead in aggravation. Haruka silently agreed with her- that was pretty much the word to sum up what he was thinking at the moment.

"I could use a cruise." The coach said smugly.

"A cruise in a squid-fishing boat?" Rei deadpannned.

"Thank you very much!" Makoto said exuberantly, bowing towards the former coach.

"You can have this!" Kou added, handing Goro another Iwatobi-chan carving.

"I said I don't want that!" Sasabe exclaimed again.

* * *

"Sorry for the trouble, Coach." Byakuya said, handing the him the money for the pizza they had ordered as the old coach got back into his vehicle.

"Nah. I don't really mind it that much." The man shrugged, putting on his helmet after pocketing the money. "You kids used to be some of my best students; think of it as a repayment for your dedication."

"Yeah..." Byakuya said despondently. She definitely wasn't 'one of the best students' now. It was depressing.

"What's got you so down?" Goro asked.

"Huh?"

"You've been pretty gloomy throughout this whole thing." Goro explained, leaning against the steering wheel of his vehicle. "Something bothering ya?"

"...No. It's nothing major. Teenage worries." Byakuya replied, forcing a stiff smile.

"It's about Makoto, isn't it?"

"What?!"

"I used to hear a lot about your behaviour from your mom." The old coach chuckled. "Mikasa used to say how you always got this angry look in your eye whenever you got worried about someone. And from the way you kept looking at Makoto like you wanted to strangle him, it was pretty easy to guess."

Byakuya was slightly stunned at how the coach had read her so easily. Her mom... she had noticed something as small as the way she looked when she thought about something?

Byakuya felt her heart clench painfully at the thought. She herself barely knew anything about her mom...

"Take it from me, Byakuya. If there's something you wanna say, just say it. Holding back doesn't do anyone any good." Sasabe said, patting her shoulder before placing his hands back on the wheel. "Anyway, I got more deliveries to make, so I'll see you kids around, eh?"

"...Thanks, Coach." Byakuya said sincerely. The man nodded once in acknowledgement before he backed his vehicle up and drove away.

The Shion girl was left staring after the retreating vehicle, running the coach's words through her head again and again. Speaking her mind... that seemed to come to her a lot more easily these days than it used to be. There was only one problem with the situation now- she wasn't sure what she wanted to say.

* * *

"Bye!" Nagisa called out as he and Rei got onto the train that would take them home.

"See you tomorrow!" Kou said, waving at the other three teens. Makoto, Haru and Byakuya were all walking home, since they lived nearby, and were seeing their friends off at the train station.

"Yeah!" Makoto called back, waving back at his friends. They all lowered their raised hands as the trains left the station, and watched as their carriages went out of sight.

"...Let's go." Makoto said to his two friends.

"Yeah." Haru responded. Byakuya just nodded.

As the three of them headed back home, they took the regular road along the beach. Makoto attempted to make idle conversation as they did so.

"Looks like this camp is gonna work out." He said nonchalantly. "All we need now is permission from Miss Ama-chan."

"Yeah." Haruka responded monotonously.

"A training camp with everyone, huh? I'm looking forward to this." Makoto laughed, earning a look from Haruka. The olive-haired boy didn't notice it though, as he stared ahead while he talked.

"Oh, Rei's a beginner swimmer, so we're going to have to look out for him." Makoto continued. "Is he gonna be able to handle this? I'm not much of a long-distance swimmer myself... and how about you, Byaku-chan? Your stamina still isn't that great, right? Hopefully we'll be able to complete the whole training course without collapsing." He laughed again.

Makoto suddenly felt someone grab the back of his shirt, halting his steps. He turned around to see Byakuya grasping his shirt, her eyes glued to the ground. Haruka was standing a few paces behind- Makoto hadn't even noticed that the boy had stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" He asked, perplexed.

While Byakuya didn't look up when he called her name, her grip on his shirt tightened. Haruka was just standing where he was, his stoic expression somewhat stiffer than it normally was. He was quiet for a while before he answered.

"Are you really okay with this?" Haruka asked, his tone even more serious than usual.

"Huh?"

Haru stared at Makoto dead in the eye blue eyes meeting green.

"The ocean." He said, watching his friend's reaction.

Makoto's emerald eyes widened immediately as he was bombarded with an array thoughts and emotions at the sole word. A violent storm. Shock. A funeral procession. The ocean. Fear.

Makoto inhaled sharply and his face fell for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I'll be fine. It was a long time ago." He said, smiling at his two friends. Byakuya's eyes narrowed as she released his shirt, shoving her hands back into her skirt pockets and stalking off, not waiting for her friends to catch up.

Haruka looked like he wanted to say more, but seemed to think better of it as he shut his eyes and relented. He continued walking on as well, dropping the topic. Makoto walked alongside Haru, his expression somewhat concerned. Haruka rarely ever voiced what he was thinking- for him to even ask Makoto such a small question was a surprise in itself. It spoke for itself just how concerned Haru was for his friend, and the thought made Makoto smile slightly. Haruka always did have a strange way of showing his concern for others, and he appreciated the notion.

Makoto turned his gaze to the ocean in the distance, and his heart dropped. Soon... he would have to face his fear, and the thought made his blood run cold. He couldn't even look at the ocean without remembering that day...

Byakuya glanced back worriedly at Makoto as he stared out at the ocean, an almost sad look on his face. Her hands clenched into fists inside her pockets, and she turned away quickly.

Her mom and Coach Sasabe had been right- she really did get pissed off when she was worried.

* * *

After Makoto and Byakuya dropped Haru off at his place, they continued on their way back home in silence, neither really wanting to talk. It was only when they had stopped in front of Byakuya's house that Makoto finally broke the silence.

"Byaku-chan."

"...Yeah?"

"About what you did back at the pool..." Makoto started slowly, smiling at the girl. "Thank you."

Byakuya averted her gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Mako insisted. He wasn't blind- he had noticed how she had tried to dissuade the others from the idea of the training camp, and he knew it wasn't for the reasons she made them out to be.

"...Haru-kun was the one who prompted me into doing so- he deserves the credit."

"Still... I really am grateful."

"You're an idiot." Byakuya said curtly; the boy's sincerity irking her for some reason. "There were other ways we could have trained our stamina. You could have said no."

"It'll be fine, Byaku-chan; don't worry. Besides, the team needs this-"

"You dont have to be so damn selfless all the time, you know?!" Byakuya snapped, cutting Makoto off. "It's okay for you to put your needs first... what if you get hurt?"

"W-What?" Makoto was absolutely stunned. Even though he'd seen Byakuya mad before, her anger had never once been directed at him like this.

"It's not right." Byakuya said, glaring at the olive-haired boy. "Your opinions and feelings matter just as much as anyone else's, yet you're always giving yourself up for others! Why can't we do the same for you? Why... why can't you just let yourself be selfish for once?"

Byakuya's voice became more strained towards the end of her sentence, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to meet Makoto's gaze after that outburst. She had just lost it- she was tired of Makoto sacrificing himself so much for the sake of others. To see him forcing himself to face his greatest fear without complaint, just for their benefit... she couldn't take it.

"You're not okay. You're not. So stop pretending that you are." She said, her voice quiet.

Makoto's gaze softened, and he felt a twinge of guilt at Byakuya's words. She was worried about him, just as Haru was as well, and he had only served to increase their worries with his decision. He didn't think that the both of them would have admitted their concerns to him- they hardly ever did so without any prompt.

"Byaku-chan..."

"I'm sorry." She apologized immediately, cutting him off. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that; you didn't deserve it. I'm just... I'm worried about you."

Makoto placed a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look back at him.

"Don't be." He said gently. "This is for the best. It's about time I stopped running from my own fears, too. You're doing it, Byaku-chan, so there's no reason why I can't as well."

"This is different." Byakuya implored, grasping onto the hand Makoto had laid on her shoulder. "You know it is. Please, Mako..."

"I have to face it sooner or later. What better time than now?"

"...You really are an idiot." Byakuya muttered, her grasp on his hand tightening. "A stupidly selfless idiot."

Makoto smiled softly at the girl. "Thank you, Byaku-chan. For telling me what was on your mind."

"This isn't about me..." She trailed off, frustrated. Leave it to Makoto to turn the tables and make the topic about her instead of him. Couldn't he just let himself be the comforted one instead of the comforter, for once?

Makoto gave her shoulder one last reassuring squeeze before removing his hand, intending to head back towards his own home.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"...Wait."

"Hm?" Makoto asked, turning back around to face the girl. Byakuya looked somewhat hesitant, and for a moment he thought she'd wave it off and tell him to forget it. Instead, she did something that left him stumped.

She reached up, pulled on his shirt collar to get him to bend over... and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Makoto couldn't move.

Byakuya's face was crimson as she released the boy. She backed up a few paces before clearing her throat nervously.

"Take care of yourself, Mako. And don't you ever try pulling something stupid like this again. I'll kill you."

And she turned on her heel and speed-walked into her house, nearly slamming the front door after she did so. Once inside, she slumped against the door, her heart pounding in her chest at her bold move.

Well, at least she could tell her brother that she had made one.

Makoto still remained frozen outside. He just stared at the closed door of Byakuya's home, not quite believing what had just happened. When his mind finally kicked in though, his face became as red as a fire hydrant.

He let out his breath in a whoosh- he hadn't even realized he had been holding it in- and ran a hand through his hair, a giddy smile spreading across his face.

He had enjoyed that way more than he should have.

* * *

AN: Awkward fluff writer is awkward aghhh, but there were just too many opportunities 8'D Also, I have noticed that I may have made a slight mishap regarding Nitori's hair colour. I always thought it was more lavender than grey, but the wiki states that it is grey. I do apologize if it caused any confusion- I swear, anime characters and their crazy hair colours asdfghjkl

Many, many thanks to Savage Kill for reviewing (I swear, you are da bomb. My inspiration for the filler chappy has skyrocketed 8'D), and usmccanthem for reviewing as well as following this story! Ya'll are great!


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

RRRIIINNNGGGGG!

Byakuya groaned loudly as her alarm clock went off, the ritualistic sound that told her to get her fat ass out of bed and do something with her life. She barely lifted her head from the pillow as she smacked the 'off' button, silencing the dreadful sound. With a lot of effort, she lifted herself into a sitting position and blinked blearily in the darkness of her room. She looked at the clock again.

6.00am. Beautiful.

Sighing, she forced herself out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom as she went about her usual morning routine of washing up. Once that was done, she put on a loose shirt and pants over her swimsuit before hefting her bags over her shoulder. She had already packed her stuff last night, so she was pretty much set to go for the training camp. The Shion girl then headed downstairs for a date with her best friend- coffee.

She downed a huge mug of the stuff and effectively woke herself up- she honestly didn't know what she'd do without caffeine- and munched a few of cereal bars to fill her stomach. By the time that was all settled, it was only 6.30. Normally Byakuya would knock out on the couch until she either woke herself up or Mako came and got her, but today there was a slight change of pace.

Byakuya double checked all the locks and windows of her house, making sure they were all secured before she headed to the front door. She just stood there for a moment, staring at her empty home.

"I'll be back soon!" She called out in a faux cheerful voice, though she didn't expect any response. She didn't know why she did it, but she did. Giving a small sigh, she went out and locked her front door. It was time, then.

She hummed to herself as she made her way to the Tachibana household, walking at a leisurely pace. She was supposed to meet up with Mako and Haru at 7.00, and they would head to the pier by 7.30 to meet up with the others. It was rare for her to be the one to wake up early for once, but she did it today. After all, she was rather worried about a particular olive-haired teen...

As she went on her way, she heard footsteps coming from her left. Turning her head, she saw Haruka falling into step beside her, his expression neutral; as always. He wore a white shirt and green pants, and was carrying a few bags of his own.

"'Morning, Haru-kun." Byakuya greeted.

"You're early." Haruka responded.

"So are you."

"Hm."

And they both kept on walking in silence. When they neared Makoto's house, they sat down on the stairs leading down to the compound, not really bothering to knock on the door. They would probably be in and out of there in a couple of minutes if they did, anyway.

"Did you say anything to Makoto?" Haruka asked suddenly, gaining Byakuya's attention.

"Ah, well..." Byakuya scratched her head sheepishly. "I wasn't quite as civil as you were, if that's what you mean..."

"I see." Haruka said, shutting his eyes briefly. He had figured Byakuya would have been less than subtle about her concerns- she could be rather direct when she wanted to be.

"How'd you know I spoke to him?"

"You looked like you wanted to kill him."

"Am I really that easy to read?" Byakuya groaned. Haru noticed it too?

"...Makoto was smiling a lot the other day." Haruka added idly.

"...What about it?" Byakuya said slowly.

Haruka remained silent, but he raised a brow at the girl- a silent question of 'You tell me'. Byakuya just flushed and looked away, confirming Haru's suspicions.

"Still..." she continued, her expression growing serious again. "I don't like this."

Haruka nodded slightly in agreement. This whole situation didn't sit too well with him either, though it was Makoto's choice.

"Haru-kun." Byakuya called suddenly. "Nagi-kun and I can handle Rei-kun, so... please look out for Mako on this trip, alright?"

Haru's eyes widened slightly in surprise; he certainly hadn't been expecting that. He regained his composure, however, and turned his eyes back to the front door of the Tachibana household. He didn't reply vocally, but Byakuya could tell that he had agreed to her request. She smiled at the thought- if there was someone she could count on to watch Mako's back, it was Haru.

"...Wouldn't it be nice?" Byakuya suddenly said, her voice wistful as she looked up at the sky. Haru didn't glance back at her, but she could tell he was listening. "If we could just be free?"

Haru didn't even blink at the statement, but Byakuya continued.

"To be without burdens or worries or cares. Just to fly away... it's a nice thought, no?"

"It's a fantasy." Haruka replied simply. "You can't run from reality."

"Yeah. I know. But still, wouldn't it be nice?" Byakuya sighed. "I wonder what it's like to be free."

Haruka had no response to that. Freedom was something he longed for, and yet it seemed like an unattainable goal. Life was harsh and difficult- to try and attain freedom by letting go of all your burdens would only tear you down; that was the cold truth. Was there even freedom to be attained in this world?

They both fell into silence after that, contemplating the topic as they waited for Makoto.

Eventually, the boy emerged from his house, carrying some luggage over his shoulder. He looked somewhat surprised to see the two of them waiting for him already- normally he was the early riser who came to get them both. He smiled though, and greeted them cheerfully.

"Morning, Haru. Byaku-chan."

Byakuya waved back at him as she stood up, a faint blush crossing her features. Ever since the kiss she'd given him that day, the butterflies in her stomach only got worse whenever she saw him.

She wanted to punch herself in the face.

Haruka didn't respond to Makoto's greeting, but he stood up as well. He glanced between Makoto and Byakuya- the latter's face somewhat flushed. The raven-haired boy raised a brow; something had obviously changed for his two friends, and he had a pretty good guess as to what it was.

He sighed internally. Of all the people to get hit by the teenage love syndrome, it would have to be those two. The world really liked playing its cruel jokes.

* * *

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan! Bya-kun!" Nagisa called out as he saw his three friends approaching. He waved at them from his spot on the pier. "Over here!"

"Good morning!" Kou greeted cheerily. The three underclassmen, along with Coach Sasabe had already gathered by the pier earlier than the other three had, and were standing next to the white fishing boat that Goro owned. For a hand-me-down squid-fishing boat, it was in pretty good condition.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

"Mm."

"Is everyone here?" Goro asked.

"We're still missing Miss Amakata." Rei answered.

No sooner than he had said that, the sound of a car approaching alerted them immediately, and they all turned around to see a familiar pink car driving up to the pier at a rather fast speed. Haru had to reach out and tug on Byakuya's shirt to make her back up a few steps to make way for the car to pass. The vehicle came to a screeching halt at a parking bay on the wide pier, and Miss Amakata stepped out.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! " She apologized sheepishly.

"She's wearing that to our training camp?" Byakuya deadpanned as she stared at the summer dress and wide-brimmed hat Miss Amakata was wearing. The young woman was also toting a couple of bags of her own, though hers were noticeably smaller than their luggage. The others all wore similar expressions of disbelief on their faces as they stared at the fashionable teacher.

Miss Amakata turned towards Coach Sasabe before she continued exuberantly. "You must be Sasabe-san! Thank you for your help!" She held out a small basket to the former coach. "Please take this! It's just a token, but.."

"O-oh, thank you." Goro stuttered out, accepting the gift. He was still somewhat surprised at the woman's unexpected entry, but as he regained his composure, his eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned forth a little, trying to get a closer look at Miss Amakata's face.

"Is something wrong?" The brunette asked curiously.

"Oh, uh.."Coach Sasabe said, eyes still narrowed as he tried to connect the dots in his mind. "Have we met before?"

"Eh?!" Miss Amakata exclaimed, paling significantly. "N-no! We haven't! This is the first time I've met you!"

"Is he trying to hit on her?" Kou said, her eye twitching slightly.

"No, I just think she's a terrible liar." Byakuya commented.

"Do you have something to say, Shion-chan?" Miss Amakata asked suddenly, a dangerous smile on her face.

"U-uhm, no! Nothing, Amakata-sensei!" Byakuya said quickly, sweatdropping. That woman had good ears.

* * *

"All right! Let's set sail!" Coach Sasabe proclaimed, raising a large, colourful flag on a pole. "I'll fly our flag with a prayer for your camp's success!"

As the coach went behind the wheel to begin driving the boat, Makoto walked over to the back to take a seat. His eyes fell on Byakuya- she was leaning over the side of the boat as one of her hands trailed idly in the water. He gave a small smile at the sight and walked over to her, taking the seat beside her. On Byakuya's other side sat Haru, who was simply staring out at the ocean again.

"Excited, Byaku-chan?" Makoto asked smilingly.

"I haven't been on a boat in years." She mumbled out. "I hope I don't get sick."

"You'll be fine." Makoto reassured. She glanced back at him with a small smirk, turning back around and sitting properly in her seat.

"Yeah, well let's hope so. I don't think you'd like it if my breakfast ended up all over you."

"Well, if it's just your breakfast, then I have nothing to worry about. It's going to be mostly coffee, anyway."

"Don't forget five cereal bars."

"Five? Really?"

"I'm a growing girl."

"But you're still short, Bya-kun!" Nagisa yelled from his place at the bow of the ship.

"I'm two centimeters taller than you, stupid!" She yelled back.

"That's why I said you're short!"

"Cheeky little fox." Byakuya mumbled. Makoto laughed and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair like he usually did. The boat started moving just then, much to everyone's delight.

"Off we go to the deserted island!" Nagisa cheered, striking a pose as he stood dangerously close to the edge at the bow of the ship. Rei started and attempted to pull him back before any accidents could happen.

"Full steam ahead!" Kou added enthusiastically.

"We're not going to a deserted island!" Rei said exasperatedly.

"Stop being so picky, Rei-chan!"

"I'm not being picky!"

"Remember to watch out for the ax-murderers!"

"Those are works of fiction, Byakuya-senpai."

"Stop being so picky, Rei-kun."

"I am not!"

And so the conversation went on as the bunch of them headed off, sailing through the ocean as the sun rose in the distance. It was quite a nice way to start the day.

* * *

"Wow... this place is beautiful!" Kou exclaimed in awe as they docked at the pier of the island they would be camping on. It was indeed a wonderful sight- with pristine waters, white, sandy beaches, and lush forests further inland, it looked like something you'd see on one of those 'Wish You Were Here!' postcards.

"I'm so glad I came!" Miss Amakata said cheerily.

"Absolutely!" Kou added.

Unfortunately, not all of then were quite so impressed with the view of the island at the moment.

"Byakuya-chan, you're not looking too good." Kou commented.

"Aspirin. Need aspirin." Byakuya groaned, clutching her head as she stumbled onto land. Rei was in a similar situation himself- he was crouching by the side of the pier, his face pale and looking like he really didn't want to be alive right now. He was in far worse shape than the Shion girl- Rei doubted he could even talk right now without losing his breakfast. The mere thought of it made him gag slightly as he held a handkerchief to his mouth.

"Are you okay, Rei?" Makoto asked worriedly as he placed a hand on the bluenette's shoulder.

"I-I'm fine." Rei choked out, standing up and walking quickly towards shore. "I just... need to use the bathroom."

Makoto just gave a small sigh before he turned to Byakuya, whose shoulders were slumped as she squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples.

"You alright, Byaku-chan?"

"Fine. Just headache. Five minutes." She answered shortly.

"You're not really gonna throw up, are you?" Nagisa asked as he and the others carried out some of the luggage from the boat.

"I will if you keep talking about it." The girl grumbled. She was just lucky she didn't get too seasick- she'd hate to have ended up like Rei.

"Take it easy, Byaku-chan." Makoto said kindly, patting her shoulder. "I'll help you carry out your stuff."

He only got what sounded like a vaguely opposing groan in response, but he ignored it and took her bags anyway- the girl was almost ridiculously stubborn when it came to proving her resilience, even when she was sick.

"Oh, and here's a gift from me." Coach Sasabe said, carrying out a large icebox and handing it to Haru. "You all better make good use of it."

"What is it?" Miss Amakata asked curiously.

"Don't worry, you'll love it." Goro said, winking at the bunch.

"Ehe..." Miss Amakata sweatdropped. Obviously, she was still rather discomforted from the coach's earlier comment. Goro just laughed.

"Anyway, good luck!" He continued, returning to his boat once everything was unloaded. "I'll be back for you all on your last day!"

"Thank you very much!" The others all called back, waving at the coach as he drove his boat away.

"Is Rei-chan okay?" Nagisa asked once the boat went out of sight, gazing back worriedly towards the shore.

"He should be fine; though he definitely doesn't have sea legs." Byakuya muttered, finally managing to shake off a bit of her headache. Makoto handed her a bottle of water, which she gratefully accepted with a small "thank you".

"You're not really one to talk, Byakuya-chan." Kou said teasingly. The dark-haired girl gave her an exasperated look in response.

"It seems there's a sports facility over here which has a 50m pool." Miss Amakata commented idly as she looked through a brochure. "We could swim there."

"We don't have the money to go there." Makoto corrected despondently as he hefted his bags over his shoulder. He reached out to take Byakuya's as well, but the girl intercepted him.

"I can carry my own things." She insisted stubbornly.

"If you say so, Byaku-chan." Makoto replied. What she didn't know was that he was still hanging on to one of her heavier bags, since she was still dizzy enough not to notice.

"I'll go look for a good camping site!" Miss Amakata announced as she headed towards shore.

"Okay!" Kou replied before she turned her attention to the icebox Coach Sasabe had passed to them.

"So what was his gift?" She mused as she eagerly reached out and began to open the chest, excited to see what he had left for them. What she saw definitely wasn't anything she had been hoping for, though...

"Pizza?" She said, sweatdropping. This was unbelievable. Kou then proceeded to take a look at the other icebox- the one Haru had brought with him- and peered inside. "And this is..."

"Mackerel." Haruka responded as the girl opened up the chest to reveal the fish inside, all resting on a mound of ice.

"You like mackerel way too much!" Kou exclaimed exasperatedly. Yep, the attractive men she was surrounded with definitely came with their quirks...

"Hey!" Rei's voice rang out suddenly, turning everyone's attention to the bluenette as he panted. He had clearly run all the way here from the bathroom, and it made them extremely curious as to what had spurred such an action. "Come over here!"

* * *

"Inoue! Yamanaka! You're falling behind!" Seijuuro's voice yelled out, resonating through the large indoor pool. His voice could be heard even through the glass of the windows, which was where the Iwatobi bunch were observing the Samezuka team from. They all stared through the large glass windows, somewhat appalled.

"Why is Samezuka's swim team here?" Makoto said confusedly.

"I knew they were holding a training camp, but to think they'd have it here..." Byakuya muttered.

"Oh, Rin-chan's here, too!" Nagisa exclaimed, pointing excitedly through the glass at the redheaded figure of Rin, who was standing with his captain and Nitori by the side of the pool.

"Did you do something again, Gou-chan?" Makoto asked.

"Eh? No! I didn't know anything about it this time!" Kou defended adamantly, waving her hands in a gesture of innocence.

"Really?" Nagisa asked skeptically. After the last time the girl had indirectly gotten Rin to meet up with them, it wouldn't have been surprising if she'd done it again.

"I mean, it's obvious my brother won't listen to anything I have to say..." Kou said despondently. Byakuya seemed to want to protest, but Kou continued quickly. "Plus..."

The redheaded girl glanced at Haruka, who was staring emotionlessly at the indoor pool. The memories of the conversation she had heard between him and her brother popped into her head again, and she recalled how Rin and Haru had sworn to race at prefecturals.

"Plus...?" Nagisa inquired.

"No, it's nothing." Kou responded.

"She was just about to say how Captain Mikoshiba is rocking that speedo." Byakuya said plainly.

"Don't put words in my mouth!"

"I don't see you denying it."

"So it's just a coincidence, then!" Nagisa interrupted enthusiastically as Kou's face turned as red as her hair. "We should go and say hello-"

"Don't." Haruka interrupted.

"Huh? Why not?" Nagisa asked.

"I promised him that we would meet at prefecturals." Haruka replied simply, though his sapphire gaze was intense as he stared at Rin.

"Huh? Really?"

'When did that happen?' Makoto wondered, though he gave a small smile at his best friend. It was good to see that he and Rin were starting to settle things, albeit slowly.

Byakuya bit her cheek as she remembered what she had overheard as well. A race that would decide it all...

Unconsciously, she pressed her fingers to the glass, over the place where Rin was standing. Just what was it that had changed? Why couldn't things just be the same as they were before?

'What does the sunset look like to you, Rin-kun?'

* * *

"I wanna swim in a 50m pool..." Nagisa said wistfully as he and the other guys began to put up their tents by the beach. Miss Amakata had, true to her word, found them a very nice camping spot on the shores. The girls- minus Byakuya- were standing by the sidelines as the others did the work of putting up the tents.

"I guess powerhouse schools really do get special treatment." Miss Amakata mused.

"They're clearly in a different class." Rei said admiringly.

"Or maybe their school actually sponsors their swim team." Byakuya murmured.

"Are you still bitter about that?!" Kou exclaimed.

"Like that George guy said, chequebooks are important and all that."

"You don't even remember the quote properly..."

"You know what I mean."

"Doesn't matter." Haru interjected, returning to the topic at hand.

"Haru's right." Makoto agreed. "Our goal for this training camp is to build stamina."

"That's right! We still have our deserted islands!" Nagisa enthused.

"Are you comparing 50m pools to deserted islands?!" Rei exclaimed.

"Aren't they similar?"

"How are they similar?!"

"If we find any buried treasure, I call dibs on everything."

"That's no fair, Bya-kun!"

"It is to me."

"Can we get back on topic?!"

"Okay then." Miss Amakata interrupted suddenly, lifting her bags off the ground and turning to Kou. "Let's go check in at the lodge."

"Yeah!" Kou said cheerily.

"Lodge?" The others all exclaimed, perplexed.

"What do you mean?" Rei said as they all approached the two ladies.

"We booked lodging for ourselves." Miss Amakata answered cheerfully, gesturing to the long row of lodges further inland, which was just visible from their positions. "There!"

"What?!" The others exclaimed. The girls were going to get to sleep in a nice, comfy lodge while they had to camp out on the beach?

"You can't expect a couple of girls to sleep outside." Miss Amakata said simply. "Right, Gou-chan?"

"Right!" The redhead agreed enthusiastically.

"Class difference again..." Rei grumbled, his eye twitching.

"We're the bottom 1%?" Nagisa despaired.

"Wait, you said 'girls shouldn't sleep outside'... what does that make me, then?!" Byakuya demanded, crossing her arms in annoyance. She hadn't been informed of this at all, despite their claims.

"You hardly count as a girl, Byakuya-chan." Kou replied.

"Well screw you too."

"Now, now. That's enough." Miss Amakata said, hooking her arm through Kou's. "If you all wanted to sleep in a lodge, then you should have been wiser with your expenses. Let's go, Gou-chan!"

"Bye-bye, you guys! Enjoy your time in the great outdoors!" Kou said sweetly as she and Miss Amakata turned away and left the others staring after them, stumped.

"...I say we find out which room they're staying in and put insects in their beds. Anyone with me?" Byakuya suggested.

Makoto just sighed and gave her a light smack on the back of her head.

* * *

AN: I have a feeling this fic will easily hit 50+ chapters as it is completed. Like seriously, I've only just finished writing episode 7, and it's already at chapter 32. This is insane. If novelizing a 12 episode series takes this long, I can only imagine how long a novelization for a series like Naruto will take... *shudder*.

And of course, many, many thanks to Savage Kill and USMCcAnthem for reviewing once more (you guys are amazing yo QwQ), B-rabbit28 for favouriting, as well as FireMageTactician, bloodrose15 and the-Flying-Panda for following and favouriting this story! Thanks for your support, and I hope I don't disappoint!

See you guys next chapter!


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"If you look at the map, you'll see that there are a number of smaller islands in the area." Makoto briefed the others as they all stood by the beach, all dressed in their swimsuits. They were going to begin the first part of their swimming regimen.

"Deserted islands!" Nagisa cheered.

"What is it with you and deserted islands?!" Rei exclaimed.

"I introduced him to this video game once. The graphics got him hooked." Byakuya scratched her head sheepishly.

"But video games and real life are two entirely different things." Rei sighed.

"Not necessarily!" Nagisa defended.

Makoto laughed at the conversation they were having- really, they talked about the most peculiar topics.

"We'll be swimming between Sukishima, Oshima and Mizushima for our training." He continued, holding up a map to clarify his point. "The distance between each island is about 1km. We're looking at 4km of swimming and 1km of running each circuit. Our goal is to complete three circuits on our first day."

Byakuya cringed slightly upon hearing the distances they were going to swim. This was gonna push her limits, alright.

"That sounds hard. Can you handle that, Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked worriedly. Even to him, who had been swimming close to 10 years, he found the regimen to be rather tough. For a beginner like Rei, it must've sounded horrible.

Maybe the name 'Summer Training Camp from Hell' wasn't too far off the mark.

"Rei's a beginner," Makoto explained. "So we have a different training regimen for him-"

"No. I'll do what everyone else is doing. I've studied up on the concepts of long-distance swimming." Rei interrupted. He automatically reached up to push his glasses up, but flushed in embarassment when he remembered he had taken them off earlier for the swim.

Byakuya smiled sympathetically at Rei- she knew all too well what he was trying to do. He was worried about holding them back- that he would be a hindrance to the team's progress, and was determined to overcome his own limitations. Nagisa had been right, Rei was definitely dedicated once he put his mind to it. She could learn to take a leaf or two out of his book.

"You may know the concepts perfectly, but the ocean is a dangerous place." Makoto said. "If you want to do the same regimen, you should use a kickboard or inflatables."

Here, Haruka stepped up to Rei, holding an armful of the said items. "Take your pick." He said calmly.

Rei blanched at the mental images of him using one of those things. "It's not beautiful!" Rei retorted vehemently.

"Just go with a kickboard." Makoto suggested, sweatdropping at the boy's reaction. Rei's focus on aesthetics did wonders to change his serious demeanour. "With that..."

"Let's start training!" Nagisa said enthusiastically, immediately pulling on his swim cap and goggles as he ran into the ocean without hesitation.

"Ah, hold on!" Rei called out, running after the blonde as well. "We're supposed to start at the same time, Nagisa-kun!"

"Hurry up!"

"Wait for me!"

"Children." Byakuya smiled. Those two really were quite the pair. Both she and Haru made a move to follow after the two, but something else caught their attention, stopping their movements.

Makoto hadn't moved from his spot, and he just stood there, gazing out at the ocean with a solemn and almost sad look on his face. The wind blew by at that moment, billowing his hair around his face- it only added to the melancholy atmosphere. Haru stared at his best friend, a hint of concern in his blue eyes, but made no move to approach him.

Byakuya hesitated for a moment before she stepped forth and placed a hand on Makoto's shoulder, a worried expression on her face. He started slightly at the contact, but turned around to give both her and Haru a reassuring smile. It was so obviously forced, and it nearly broke Byakuya's heart.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He said, his voice forcefully cheerful as he patted her hand. He turned towards the ocean and started walking before either Haru or Byakuya could respond. "Let's get going."

"...Yeah." Haru replied, his voice unwaveringly stoic. His eyes betrayed his true emotions though; he was obviously worried for his friend, that much was clear. He glanced at Byakuya and they shared another knowing look- both recalling the agreement they had made earlier that morning. Neither of them said anything as they put on their swimming accessories and joined the other three in the ocean as well.

'Mom...' Byakuya prayed silently. 'If you're listening... please watch out for Mako.'

* * *

"Hey, Bya-kun~" Nagisa sang once they reached the first island of their circuit. The Shion girl had already yanked off her goggles and swim cap as she shook out her hair, still standing in the shallow waters.

"Yeah?" Byakuya responded, turning around to face the boy standing behind her. "What's u-"

But right before she could finish that sentence, Nagisa had yanked Byakuya's foot from under her and she fell back into the ocean, completely submerged before she got back onto her feet.

"Nagi-kun!" She sputtered, wiping away the water and wet hair from her face as she glared viciously at the blonde boy, who was laughing his head off.

"Y-you look like a drowned puppy!" He stuttered out in between his laughs. Byakuya's glare just intensified as she took a menacing step towards Nagisa.

"Oh I'll show you drowned..." She growled as she got Nagisa into a headlock.

"Rei-chan, help!" Nagisa called out as he saw the bluenette standing closest to them. "Bya-kun's trying to castrate me!"

"What?!" Rei exclaimed. How on earth had Nagisa come to that sort of conclusion?!

"I thought you said you didn't know what that meant!" Byakuya accused, stopping her vicious assault on the boy for a moment.

"I don't." Nagisa confessed.

"You little-"

"Sh-should we stop them?" Rei asked hesitantly as Byakuya proceeded to strangle Nagisa.

"It's their problem. They can settle it themselves." Haruka said nonchalantly as he began his run.

"They'll stop eventually." Makoto laughed sheepishly.

"That's not very encouraging..." Rei sighed, but followed after Haruka. Those two could sort it out on their own. Hopefully.

...

By the time Nagisa and Byakuya had caught up with them again, the boy had a bump on his head while Byakuya just smiled the whole time. Naturally.

* * *

"I didn't realize long distance swimming was so taxing." Rei panted as Nagisa helped him up. They had managed to reach the second island, and Rei was utterly exhausted.

"You did well for a first-timer." Makoto praised, smilimg reassuringly. "Good work."

That did little to reassure Rei, though. He couldn't help but feel like he was somewhat of a hindrance to the team's progress due to his lack of experience.

"It feels like we're really training!" Nagisa exclaimed, flexing his arms. "We'll be a lot stronger once this camp is over! If we win at prefecturals, and do well in regionals, then we can head on to nationals!"

"It would be nice if we could." Byakuya mused.

"Yep." Makoto agreed, his eyes softening slightly as he entertained the thought. "It all sounds like a dream, but I want to see how far we can go."

That made Haruka turn around and shoot a glance at his friend. Something in Makoto's voice sounded different when he said that- there was something stronger to it; a deeper feeling behind those words than he let on.

"If we place, then we'll get a bigger budget! Then we'll get to swim indoors during the winter!"

"I hope so." Haruka commented.

"You'll get to swim all the time!" Nagisa added cheerily.

Byakuya smiled at her friends as they conversed- they sounded like they were really getting involved in this thing... that was good. She liked it when her friends were happy- it was something that gave her the encouragement to move forth with them as well instead of dwelling upon the past. If there was one thing she wished for, though, it was to see them all swimming in a relay again...

For a moment, she glanced back at Rei, who was standing a little ways away from their small bunch. The boy was gazing despondently at the ground, and Byakuya immediately felt guilty- she had briefly forgot that he was even there.

"Oi, Rei-kun!" She called out, gaining his attention. "Wanna help me out and see if we can find any buried loot?"

"Huh?!" Rei exclaimed, not expecting that at all. The others looked slightly surprised at the sudden change of topic as well.

"You heard me. We could look around for an 'X' mark on the ground or something-"

"That's hardly realistic." Rei deadpanned. Byakuya smirked a bit at that- at least he had stopped brooding for now.

"Doesn't mean it isn't possible. Haven't you read Treasure Island?"

"That's a storybook."

"But Rei-chan!" Nagisa added. "What if there really is such a thing? I mean, deserted islands are super mysterious-"

"Can we stop with the deserted islands?!"

"It'll be an adventure! C'mon..."

"Yeah, c'mon, Rei-kun..."

"Absolutely not!"

"Oh fine." Byakuya grunted.

"You're no fun, Rei-chan!" Nagisa added, pouting.

"I'm being rational!" Rei defended.

Makoto smiled when he realized what Byakuya and Nagisa were doing. They had clearly noticed Rei's dampened mood, and were doing their best to take his mind off his worries. It was a strange way of doing it, but it was effective- Rei looked more like his normal self now. Quite a subtle move, he had to admit, and the way those two had gone about executing it was near perfect despite it being completely impulsive and unplanned.

Heaven help them if those two actually decided to start plotting schemes together. No one would stand a chance.

* * *

"Good work!" Kou praised as the five swimmers returned to the main island, all rather tired from their workout. The manager of the swim team handed them each a towel from the bunch that she had been holding.

"Thanks." Makoto said gratefully as he accepted one of the towels.

"Was the training regimen from hell too hard after all?" Kou inquired. "You guys only completed half of it."

Plus, Byakuya was just lying there on the beach, breathing heavily as she lay there with her eyes shut. Kou just sighed and dumped the towel on her face, ignoring the unintelligible groaning that the older girl emitted upon her doing so.

"Well, it's only the first day." Makoto said, sweatdropping when he saw what Byakuya was doing. He was surprised she'd even made it back to shore without needing any help, really. Those morning jogs she had been doing must've been working out.

"I-I'll do better tomorrow!" Rei said suddenly, walking up to the other members of the swim team. He was determined to better himself; to make sure he got to their level. He would not be the weakest link.

"You'll do fine, Rei-chan!" Nagisa encouraged. The blonde had noticed that Rei seemed rather insecure about his swimming abilities, and was insistent on making him feel better.

"I'll catch up soon enough!" Rei insisted.

"That's the spirit!" Makoto enthused.

"Fly high, Butterfly." Byakuya cheered half-heartedly.

"How long are you gonna lie there, Bya-kun?" Nagisa asked curiously.

"All day."

"Hey!" Miss Amakata called out. The teacher was standing by two picninc tables conveniently placed by the beach, and had placed two large baskets onto those tables. "That's enough performance reviews for now. Let's eat before it gets dark!"

"On second thought, lying down can wait." Byakuya said, shooting up to her feet almost instantaneously. Obviously, it didn't take much effort to make her change her mind about lazing around.

"You're contradicting yourself." Haruka commented blandly. Makoto just laughed as they all walked towards Miss Amakata.

"I'm starving!" Nagisa announced, eagerly looking at the baskets of food the teacher had laid out on the table. The teacher dug around in a basket for a while before a disappointed look crossed her face.

"Oh no, I forgot to bring seasoning." Miho said disappointedly.

"What?!" Nagisa said.

"I'll go borrow some from the lodge!" Kou volunteered immediately, eager to help out.

"Thank you!" Miss Amakata said gratefully.

"Want me to accompany you?" Byakuya asked.

"You're dripping wet, Byakuya-chan." Kou pointed out.

"Dammit. I was hoping I could sneak your keys when you weren't looking." Byakuya grumbled.

"Then why would you mention it out loud?" Rei asked exasperatedly.

"I never said I was good at stealing stuff."

"Whatever." Kou sighed, heading towards the lodge. "You all go get changed while I go get the seasoning."

"Be back soon, hungry people here!" Byakuya called out.

"Just go to the washroom already!"

* * *

Kou jogged past the a row of shophouses on the way to the lodge at a rather quick pace, eager to get the seasoning as fast as she could. Just as she ran past a gorcery store, however, the front door open and she nearly collided into another boy.

"Oh, I'm sorry-" Kou cut herself off when she suddenly realized who she had nearly run into. It was that boy from Samezuka- Nitori. The lavender-haired boy looked rather surprised himself, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the girl.

"You're Matsuoka-senpai's-" But before Nitori could finish his sentence, a very familiar maroon-haired boy strode up behind him.

"What's wrong?" Rin asked, right before he noticed his sister standing there, staring at him in shock.

"Onii-chan!" Kou exclaimed.

"Gou?" Rin said in surprise, though he released a "tch" in irritation once he regained his composure. If his sister was here... then that meant those guys were here too.

"Nitori, you head back first." He barked out, directing the statement at his roommate. Nitori started at the sudden order, but complied.

"Oh? O-okay, I'll see you later, Matsuoka-senpai." Nitori said before heading back, leaving the two siblings with each other. He wondered what they were going to discuss, but decided to respect their privacy.

"Well?" Rin asked, turning his gaze back to his sister once Nitori was out of sight.

Kou sighed. It looked like the others were going to have to wait for their seasoning.

* * *

"It's not what you're thinking." Kou explained as she and her brother sat on a bench not too far from the shoplots where they had encountered each other.

"It's not?" Rin said skeptically. He wasn't naive- he knew that when she had texted him about the old swim club back then, she had done it on purpose to get him to encounter the others. Now that she was their manager, it would have been easier for her to do so again.

"Haru and the rest of them are here, right?" Rin continued.

"They are, but it's purely coincidence!" Kou replied. She was getting somewhat exasperated that they didn't believe her when she defended her innocence in this matter. "We happen to be here for a training camp."

"Training camp?" Rin said confusedly. "We're using the pool. Where are they swimming?"

Here, Kou glanced away briefly, a somewhat melancholy look in her eyes as she responded quietly. "The ocean."

Now it was Rin's turn to be startled. "Makoto's okay with that?" He asked, surprise and concern lacing his voice.

"Huh?" Kou said, perplexed. How did this connect back to Makoto? She had been thinking about someone else entirely...

And it definitely wasn't her imagination- she had heard her brother's change of tone when he spoke of his old friend. For a moment, he had sounded like his old self.

Rin seemed to realize his slip as well and quickly looked away, the stoic look back on his face.

"Forget it. Never mind. Are they completing their regimen?" He asked curtly.

"Uh-huh. Well, they only completed half of it today." Kou replied, before she giggled slightly.

"What?" Rin said, somewhat apprehensive. What was so funny?

"Nothing. It just sounds like you're still worried about them." She said, a happy expression on her face.

"I'm not." Rin denied, his brow twitching slightly.

"But you promised to meet them at prefecturals?" Kou inquired, remembering what Haru had said.

"I didn't do it to see them." Rin replied stiffly, standing up from his seat as his eyes hardened. "I'm going to beat Haru. That's all I care about."

Rin then proceeded to walk away, leaving his sister sitting on the bench by herself. He had intended to just walk back to where he and the rest of his team were staying at, but as he glanced back for a moment, he caught a glimpse of his sister's downcast face. Her expression looked like that of a kicked puppy, and Rin immediately felt a pang of guilt. Byakuya's words to him at the joint practice that day came back to him...

'That's your sister, Rin-kun. I don't know what's up with you, but she's your family. Treat her like it.'

"Gou." Rin called out. "Where are you staying?"

Kou seemed surprised that he was asking, but replied nonetheless. "Oh, that lodge over there."

"...I'll walk you back." Rin said, casting a look back at Kou over his shoulder before he continued walking again.

The girl's expression lifted immediately, and she let out a small cry of joy as she stood up and ran after her brother, falling into step next to him.

"What's that smile for?" Rin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Kou replied cheekily, though the smile never left her face. Rin just ignored it and continued looking straight ahead as he walked.

If he was completely honest with himself, though... he was glad that his sister was smiling. He was her big brother, after all, and to take care of her was his duty.

After all, family was all you had.

* * *

"I thought I told you to call only in case of an emergency?" Byakuya said, her voice almost annoyed as she spoke into her phone. She had just finished her bath, and was using her free hand to dry her hair with a towel while she conversed over the phone.

"This is an emergency!" Aoi replied, his voice unusually excited. "I only just saw your message! Did you really kiss Orca?"

"I didn't bring a charger with me, you know." Byakuya grumbled, her face reddening at the mention of her bold move yesterday.

"You're avoiding the topic! Did you really kiss him?!"

"...It was only on the cheek."

"Woohoo! My sister's got some balls!"

"I didn't need you to further degrade my femininity."

"Still! Nice job, Turtle!"

"You're reacting a lot more to this than I thought you would."

"I'm your older brother! I'm supposed to be excited about your love life and give you advice on wooing men!"

"Aren't you supposed to be beating men away from me with a stick?"

"You do enough of that on your own."

"Goodbye, Ao-nii."

"Oh come on!"

Byakuya laughed, tossing her towel over her shoulder as she walked back towards the beach, dressed in a sleeveless shirt and surfing shorts.

"But seriously though, my battery's gonna die if I keep up this conversation too long. Anything big you wanna tell me?"

"Well, ... how's Orca handling the training thing?"

"That was a strange change of topic." Byakuya joked lightly, though her grip on the phone tightened. She sat down on the beach near their campsite, gazing out at the setting sun.

"Yeah, but still, how is he?" Aoi said, sounding somewhat serious himself.

"...He's okay, I guess. A bit hesitant, but he did pretty well today." Byakuya replied. Makoto hadn't shown any signs of fear once the training had started, but she wondered if that had been entirely truthful on Mako's part.

"The boy's tough. I'll give him that much."

"Yeah, he is. But he's an idiot."

"You two are perfect together, then."

"Shaddup."

Aoi laughed. "Well, I always did like the kid. He was like a second brother to you, y'know? Sometimes I consider passing my job over to him."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're an awesome big brother."

"Aww, thanks baby."

"I'm not a baby. You're just old."

"Haha, if you say so... anyways, I'll stop burning your battery now. Call me when you get back?"

"Yeah, sure. See ya, Ao-nii."

The girl hung up, releasing a long exhale as she placed her phone in her pocket. A small smile played on her lips as she gazed out at the ocean- she always did feel happier after a talk with her brother, no matter how peculiar he was.

"Aoi called?"

Byakuya chuckled quietly as she recognized the familiar voice. "Yep. He says hi, by the way."

"He still calls me Orca, doesn't he?" Makoto said as he walked over to where Byakuya was sitting, settling down next to her as well. His own hair was slightly damp from the shower, and he was temporarily wearing his glasses as well.

Byakuya thought he looked cute when he wore those glasses- not that she'd ever say that out loud.

"Of course he does. Ao-nii never drops a nickname once he creates one." Byakuya said smilingly.

"Yeah, well it's nice to see some things never change." Makoto said with a smile on his face. The two fell quiet for a while, before Byakuya broke the silence.

"...What do you think freedom is, Mako?" Byakuya asked suddenly.

"Hm?"

"Freedom. What do you think it means?"

Makoto was somewhat surprised at the change of topic, but pondered the question for a while before he answered.

"Well... I think freedom is being able to overcome your fears. To be brave enough to face life and stand by the people you care for." He replied.

"Really..." Byakuya said thoughtfully. It wasn't a bad answer, and it was just so...Makoto. His views reflected quite a bit on what he was doing now, really... it looked like freedom wasn't something she herself was striving for, either.

"Is that why you're doing this, then?" She continued. "To become free?"

"Why all the sudden questions, Byaku-chan?" Makoto inquired, not answering Byakuya's inquiry.

"You're avoiding the topic." Byakuya sighed, before relenting. "Just something I had on my mind."

"Well, what's your idea of freedom?"

"I don't really know. That's sorta why I'm asking around."

"Well, everyone has their own idea on what it means to be free. Maybe you should try to find your own answer."

"I'm trying, but I don't really trust my own judgment, really."

"You should. You're a lot smarter than you think you are."

"Not really. For all I know I might get this twisted concept of freedom and end up being a leader of a cult or something."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. We'll be there to help you every step of the way."

"'We'?"

"Me, Haru, Nagisa, and everyone else. Do you really think we wouldn't help you out when you need it?" Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow.

Byakuya fell silent. She hadn't actually thought about that, and it made her feel a little bad. Her friends were there for her, and there was no way they'd ever let her fall. She couldn't let herself forget that.

"Of course not." She said, shutting her eyes briefly as she smiled. "Thanks, Mako. For reminding me."

"Don't mention it." Makoto replied, turning his gaze towards the setting sun as well.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you- Ao-nii agrees that you're an idiot." Byakuya continued lightly.

"What?"

"Yep. He totally agrees. Shame on you, Orca."

"Do you really have to call me that, too?"

"Yes."

Makoto sighed as he ruffled the girl's hair, which in return garnered the usual swat from Byakuya. It was just the way they went about doing their own thing, two friends comfortable with the pattern they had set for themselves. It would have been a nice way to end the day, had it continued that way.

However, fate had other plans in store, for a series of rather unfortunate events were about to take place. That night, the coldness of reality would be forced upon the teens of the Iwatobi Swim Club- and with it, their familiar worlds would be thrown into disarray.

* * *

AN: Anddd we all know what's coming next. Three letters. C. P. R. I'll leave ya'll to speculate what happens next chappy. ;)

And here I now proceed to shower these guys with cyber sparkles: Thank you to Savage Kill, AmIValid and Shizuka Kitsune for reviewing, USMCcAnthem for doing the above as well as favouriting, Kyoichi Amaya for reviewing as well as faving and following this fic, HeavenlyCondemned for doing the above as well as adding my profile to your favourites and alerts, and synismysin for following this story! Ya'll rock ;D


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"Mackerel and hokke!" Nagisa announced, brandishing the dish he had made.

"Mackerel and pineapple!" Haruka said while brandishing his own pizza. His face was still blank and he was noticeably less enthusiastic than the blonde, but he was rather enthusiastic nonetheless.

"What?" Kou deadpanned as she stared at the pizzas the two were holding, not quite believing the peculiar combinations they had made.

"Pineapple's the one topping I'll never put on pizza." Miss Amakata shuddered.

"Haven't you heard of Hawaiian?!" Byakuya said, appalled that anyone could dislike the- in her opinion, at least- heavenly combo.

"I hate green peas in shumai!" Kou added

"Eh, I'm not so sure about that one." Miho laughed sheepishly.

"Why would you say that?" Kou exclaimed.

"Women are so fussy."

"You're a girl too, Byakuya-chan."

"You left me to sleep on the beach, you hypocrites."

As they all conversed idly on the topic of food combinations they disliked, Rei stood at the other side of the table, a downcast expression on his face as he thought over the events of that day.

"What's wrong?" Nagisa asked as he strode up to the boy, tilting his head curiously.

"Oh, it's nothing." Rei reassured, though it was none too convincing.

"Really?" Nagisa said. He wasn't convinced by the boy's answer, but made no move to pursue the question as he walked back to the main group. If Rei didn't feel like talking about it, Nagisa would respect his privacy.

Rei's face became solemn again as Nagisa left, and he stared listlessly at the bunch as they ate their pizzas and chatted.

"Rei." Makoto's voice called Rei's attention to him, and the bluenette fixed his attention on the senior standing next to him- he hadn't even noticed that Makoto was standing there. The Tachibana boy's face was kind as he spoke to Rei.

"You don't need to worry about not finishing the regimen." He said kindly. "Just take it easy."

Here, Makoto looked back at the group at the table, who were still bickering lightly as they ate. Haruka was passive as ever, but added his own comments occasionally. Byakuya sat next to him, making the occasional remark through a mouthful of food. Kou and Nagisa were laughing at something that had been said, while Miss Amakata tittered lightly as she took a bite of her pizza- one with no pineapple, as expected.

"I'm just glad we get to practice and camp here together." Makoto continued, his eyes softening as he gazed at his friends. "It's important to improve our times, but what makes me happiest is that we all get to swim together."

Rei looked somewhat startled at Makoto's words, but slowly smiled. He, too, glanced back at their small group- he was glad to have these people as his friends; they were always so welcoming and friendly. Rei had never really had any solid friends before, and to have some now was comforting. Makoto was right- being together was what made him happy.

"Yes." Rei replied, shutting his eyes briefly as he shot the senior a small smile.

The issue of his inability to swim as well as the others could still nagged at him, but all that was forgotten for a moment as he and Makoto rejoined their friends. For now, he would enjoy this moment of happiness.

* * *

After they all finished their meal, the five swimmers of the swim club returned to their camping spot, accompanied by their manager and advisor.

"Then, Haru, Byaku-chan and I will be in this tent." Makoto announced, gesturing to the slightly larger tent of the two.

"Ehh?" Nagisa whined. "But I wanna sleep with Haru-chan."

"You don't want to share a tent with me?" Rei asked, his brow twitching. Was Nagisa trying to tell him something?

"You probably grind your teeth in your sleep." Nagisa replied evenly.

"I don't do that!" Rei defended.

"Byakuya snores." Haruka added.

"Haru-kun!" Byakuya exclaimed.

"It's true."

"We can use amida to decide." Makoto cut in, deciding to settle the situation before it broke out into a fight.

"I'm in!" Nagisa enthused.

"We can draw in the sand." Haruka suggested.

"Okay." Makoto agreed.

"I'm on the far right!" Nagisa announced.

"Ah, that's the one I wanted!" Rei retorted.

"Screw off, that spot's mine." Byakuya interrupted.

"But Bya-kun-"

"Ladies first."

"You're hardly a lady!"

"I can beat you up, y'know."

"Now, now." Makoto interjected again, sweatdropping at all the bickering that was going on. "Haru, which one do you want?"

"The one on the end."

"Amida~" Nagisa sang cheerily.

As they all decided on the positions to take for the game, Miss Amakata and Kou stood by the sidelines, watching the five teens.

"Let's go back to the lodge." Miho suggested, turning to Kou.

"Oh... yes." Kou said, starting slightly at the question. She had been staring rather intently at the group of them, and reluctantly headed back to the lodge with her teacher. As they were walking away, Kou turned back one last time to look at the teens, who were laughing happily together.

'...Why isn't onii-chan with them?'

* * *

Byakuya shot up in her bed with a gasp when a loud booming sound echoed through the night, startling her out of her slumber. She heaved a sigh of relief when she realized it was just thunder, though she started slightly when she realized what that meant.

"...A storm?" She muttered, turning her gaze to the entrance of the tent. Thankfully, the tent was rather secure, and while the walls were blowing about rather strongly, the tent itself wasn't in any danger of being blown away. She let herself relax slightly, and turned to see the still forms of Haru and Nagisa, who were still fast asleep. Nagisa was hugging onto a pillow he had brought with him, sprawled out in a peculiar position as he slept with his mouth agape, drooling a bit. Haruka was unmoving as he slept, his mouth only slightly open as he breathed steadily.

Byakuya smiled at the sight- even by the way they slept, you could tell what their personalities were like. She lay down again as she prepared to go back to sleep, shutting her eyes as she did so.

However, the yell she heard made her eyes snap open again, her muscles tensing automatically. The sound had been rather vague- it had probably been carried away by the wind- but there was no mistaking that it had occured. And the voice sounded a lot like...

"Makoto?" Byakuya said confusedly. What was he doing out so late at night, in a storm like this, too? And it might have been her imagination, but she could have sworn he had said "Rei."

Byakuya felt immediately uncomfortable and turned to Haru to wake him up. She started upon seeing that the boy was already slowly sitting up- he always was a light sleeper. Nagisa was awakened by the movement as well, and sat up as he blearily rubbed his eyes.

"Haru-chan? Bya-kun?" He asked, not quite comprehending why the two were awake.

"Did you hear that?" Haru asked, an alert look in his eyes.

"Hear what?" Nagisa asked.

"That voice." Haruka said insistently.

Byakuya simply nodded once in affirmative, and barely hesitated as she stood up to exit the tent. Haru followed suit.

"Huh?" Nagisa exclaimed, shaking himself out of his stupor. His two friends looked absolutely serious, and that was enough to wake him up as he followed after them.

Nagisa had a bad feeling in the pits of his stomach- like something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Byakuya "tch"ed as she got out of the tent and the strong winds blew by, throwing her hair all over the place. She impatiently pushed the strands out of the way, not bothering to go get her usual hair tie- she had no time for that. Haru was right behind her, also using a hand to shield himself from the strong gusts of air. The two of them immediately headed to the neighbouring tent; the one Makoto and Rei were supposed to be sharing. If what they heard was right, then that would mean...

"Makoto." Haru called out, his voice urgent as he opened the entrance to the tent. Neither Mako nor Rei were inside.

"Shit." Byakuya cursed, feeling her heartbeat quicken. This couldn't be good.

"What's wrong?" Nagisa asked as he caught up to his friends, also peering inside the tent. He started when he saw that it was empty. "Eh? They're gone."

"It's still warm." Haru pointed out as he lay a hand on one of the empty sleeping bags, feeling its temperature.

"Did they go to the restroom?" Nagisa asked, yawning.

Byakuya had by this time ignored the empty tent and was looking around frantically for her two friends. They had heard Makoto's voice, so there was no way that-

A flash of orange caught her eye, and what she saw made her heart stop. It was Makoto's shirt, lying on the beach.

When a flash of lightning tore across the sky, what she saw next made her eyes widen in shock and fear.

"Haru-kun! Nagi-kun!" She cried out, pointing out at the roiling sea. "There! In the ocean!"

"What is it?" Nagisa asked, immediately alert as he heard the urgency in Byakuya's voice. The girl started running towards the ocean immediately, ignoring all sense of caution.

At the next flash of lightning, Haru, too, noticed what Byakuya had seen, his own eyes widening.

"H-hel-" Rei's voice was cut off as another wave swept over him, drowning out his cries for help. The bluenette's head was barely visible fron their place on the shore, and swimming towards him was another olive-haired figure- Makoto.

"Is that-" Nagisa wasn't able to finish his sentence as Haru ran off as well, removing his shirt quickly as he focused only on jumping into the ocean.

"Haru-chan?! Bya-kun?!" Nagisa exclaimed. From his friends' reactions, it was most likely that his observation had been correct.

"Contact Miss Amakata!" Haru yelled back as he ran into the ocean.

Byakuya didn't hesitate as she practically tore off her own shirt, throwing it aside as she leapt into the sea. She was only wearing a black sports bra underneath, and the cold of the water hit her like a ton of bricks, but it didn't matter- she didn't need the extra drag resistance from the shirt to slow her down. The only thing on her mind was getting to her friends.

She swam quickly and efficiently, her eyes trained on her target. It was extremely difficult to do so as the waves kept throwing her off course, but she managed it. For once, Byakuya thanked the heavens for her masculine frame- it helped loads in swimming against the currents. Her adrenaline was pumping, and she barely registered the burn of her muscles as she exerted all her strength into her swimming. The girl barely noticed that Haru had caught up to her as well; headed for the same target.

As she neared Makoto and Rei, the waves seemed to grow more and more fierce as they swept over them. Byakuya hesitated as she registered a new fact- Makoto was an experienced swimmer; he could hold his own against the currents better, but with his fear of the ocean, he could very well be struggling. Rei, on the other hand, was a beginner, and would most likely be less used to this force of nature. Who was she going to head towards? Who was she supposed to help?

The girl grit her teeth as her thoughts conflicted. Her best friend could be in trouble, yet another of her friends WAS in trouble. Her mind told her to head towards Rei, but she wanted to head towards Makoto... What was she to do?

'Haru-kun. Nagi-kun and I can handle Rei-kun, so... please look out for Mako on this trip, alright?'

"I've got Rei! " She yelled out to Haru as she adjusted her course, swimming towards the blue-haired figure of Rei. She didn't hear Haru's response as another wave swept over her, but she kept on going. She had to reassure herself that Haru would remember his end of the deal; that he would take care of Makoto. She had to trust in him, even with all the doubts she held.

When she finally swam up to the bluenette, she grabbed his arm and pulled it around her shoulders. Rei gasped for air while she steadied him, struggling to keep them both afloat. Despite her capabilities, she was still a girl, and it was difficult for her to maintain her energy after so much swimming. She was beginning to worry for a moment, when a familiar blonde swam up next to Rei, hooking the boy's other arm over his shoulder.

"Nagi-kun?!" Byakuya exclaimed, relieved at having someone else to help her support Rei's weight. The blonde had probably ignored Haru's request to go find Miss Amakata and had come after them- Byakuya had never been more glad for the boy's independent nature.

"I've got you, Rei-chan!" Nagisa called out. Byakuya craned her neck around enough to see that Haru had caught up to Mako as well, and was keeping him above the water. Just as she started to feel relieved, a dark shadow fell over them, and she snapped her head back towards its source. Her eyes widened when she saw what had to be one of the biggest waves she had ever seen approaching- and from the looks of it, it was about to crash down on them.

"No way..." Nagisa said in shock, also seeing the huge wave.

"Nagi-kun! Haru-kun! Hang on!" Byakuya cried out, before taking a large gasp of air and holding her breath as she prepared for the wave to crash down. She felt Nagisa's hand clenching onto her own as he, too, held on to the Ryugazaki boy. Only one thought came to her mind as the wave came down upon them, hitting them like a truck.

'Makoto, please be okay.'

* * *

Haruka panted heavily as he stood up on the sand, half-dragging an unconscious Makoto onto shore. One of the taller boy's arms was draped across his shoulder, and Haru trembled slightly from the strain of carrying his large friend. He trudged forth anyway, bringing both himself and Makoto further up the beach before he fell to his knees, carefully laying Makoto on the ground in front of him.

"Makoto!" He called out, shaking his friend by the shoulders. "Makoto! Wake up!"

No response. Haru felt a cold stab of fear, and he frantically looked around the beach he found himself on, hoping to find someone.

"Anyone... is someone there?! Byakuya? Nagisa? Rei?" Haruka yelled, his voice rising in panic. No one answered.

Shock overcame Haru for a moment as he realized he was alone. He put a trembling hand to his mouth, trying to figure out what to do. He was so used to having Makoto supporting him, not the other way around. What could he do? What if Makoto was dying? What would he do if he lost Mako now?

"First rule when it comes to saving someone's life: Do. Not. Panic."

With a start, Haru recalled the words of his old coach. After he had nearly drowned in a river in grade school, Mikasa Shion had taken it upon herself to teach him and the others basic first aid should they ever find themselves in a similar situation again. He could hear her gentle, soothing voice in the recesses of his mind and he forced himself to calm down, taking deep, steady breaths to slow his racing heart. He recalled the lessons she had given, and managed to think clearly enough to follow the usual first aid procedure.

Haruka placed his ear against Makoto's chest, listening closely. To his immense relief, he could hear the thumping of his heart beating steadily in his chest.

"It's beating." He said to himself, taking that off his mental checklist. "Is he injured?" Haruka looked his friend over to see if there were any cuts or other wounds. Nothing. Good.

Haru then leaned closer to Makoto's face, his ear placed near his mouth to check for his friend's breathing. It was faint, but he was able to feel Makoto's breath against his face. "His breathing is so weak..." Haru muttered to himself, placing a hand to his chin as he pondered what to do next.

The last steps of Coach Shion's advice came to him. Back then, he, along with the other kids of the swim club, had been somewhat grossed out by this part of the lesson, but now he found himself extremely grateful for it. He was uncertain about using it now, but knew nothing else he could do. Hesitantly, he tilted Makoto's head back and leaned closer, preparing to give him CPR...

Just then, Makoto choked and turned onto his side, coughing up water as he did so. Haruka straightened back up immediately in surprise.

"Makoto!" He exclaimed, relief lacing his voice. Makoto was alright, thank goodness...

"Haru...ka.." Makoto choked out weakly, still not quite recovered from the near-drowning experience.

"Are you okay?" Haruka asked immediately.

"Where are we?" Makoto said, struggling to sit back up. Haru helped him to do so.

"I'm guessing this is Sukishima. The island facing the tents." Haruka explained.

"Where's Rei?" Makoto said, his voice rising slightly as he regained his bearings. He tried to stand up, but Haru held him back. "Rei-"

"You shouldn't be moving around! You need to rest!" Haruka insisted.

"But Rei's in trouble!" Makoto retorted, still trying to stand up.

"Nagisa and Byakuya are taking care of it!" Haruka exclaimed, his voice louder than usual to emphasize his point. "You don't need to worry."

"Byaku-chan? Nagisa?" Makoto said in surprise, though he stopped his struggling.

"Yeah." Haru replied evenly, still supporting his friend.

"Is she okay?!" Makoto said immediately, his worry rising back up.

"Makoto. Calm down." Haruka said, his tone firm. He was somewhat irked at his friend's behaviour- even when he had nearly drowned, he was still so concerned over others more than himself. Makoto needed to rest, and Haru was determined to make sure he got it.

"But..." Makoto trailed off, staring at the ocean, concern evident in his emerald eyes. However, this time he heeded Haruka's advice to stay calm.

Haruka briefly glanced at the ocean as well, which had calmed noticeably since the storm had died down, but it was still dark and drizzling slightly. He helped Makoto to his feet as they both headed further up the shore go find shelter from the rain. As they did so, Haru's own thoughts wandered back to his other friends, wondering if they were okay. Even though he didn't voice his concerns, he was still worried, himself...

He knew Byakuya wasn't up to par with the others in terms of endurance and strength, and that made him feel discomforted. And what of Nagisa and Rei? They were both younger than the others, and Rei was the one who had been close to drowning...

'Everyone... be safe.'

* * *

Byakuya struggled to get onto her feet once she felt the comforting feeling of sand beneath her, panting as she did so. It was too much strain though, and she fell to her knees again from the effort. She had reached her limit, and her arms shook slightly as she tried once more to get back up.

"Byakuya... senpai...?" Rei panted, turning back towards the senior as he himself got to his feet. Nagisa had stood up as well, and hurried quickly to Byakuya's side, supporting her as she attempted to stand again.

"I...I'm fine." She protested, trying to push Nagisa away. It was a weak attempt, though, and she nearly fell over again as she did so. Nagisa laughed weakly through his own panting as he put her arm over his shoulders. Rei joined him as well, mirroring what the girl and Nagisa had done for him earlier.

"J-just hang in there, Bya-kun." Nagisa said lightheartedly as they walked further inland. They had no idea which island they were on, but at that point they didn't really care. "We'll find us a place to sit, okay?"

"Makoto." Byakuya coughed out as the three of them moved further up the shore. Her arms around the two boys tightened slightly as she looked about worriedly. "Where's Makoto?"

"It's just us, senpai." Rei said as they sat down on a fallen log in front of a low cliff by the beach. "Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai must have washed ashore somewhere else.

"Rei-kun..." Byakuya said, turning her gaze towards him as she slumped against the the cliff wall behind the fallen log. Despite her exhausted state, her eyes were alert and sharp as she recalled a very important detail. "What were you and Mako doing out in the ocean in the middle of a storm?"

"I-I'm sorry." Rei apologized, casting his eyes to the ground. "I tried to complete some training on my own, and when the storm came-"

"What were you thinking? Going out there by yourself?!" Byakuya said, her voice raising while Rei cringed. She coughed from the strain put on her voice, but continued anyway. "Why didn't you think about getting one of us to follow you, at least?"

"...I'm sorry. I just didn't want to hold any of you back." Rei said quietly.

Here Byakuya paused. Rei's words... they sounded an awful lot like her own when she had been going back to the swim club regularly before it got torn down. She had known the risks, but she did it anyway- without telling any of her friends. She hadn't wanted to trouble anyone- didn't want to hinder them any more than she could afford.

What Rei had done was barely any different from what she herself had done.

"...Sorry. I shouldn't be yelling at you like this. I'm just..." Byakuya trailed off for a moment, her voice softening. "You were only doing what you thought was right for all of us. We can't judge you for that."

"No, I deserve it. I was reckless, and I endangered everyone because of it." He sighed, placing his face in his hand.

"Rei-kun..."

Nagisa interrupted Byakuya just then, handing a blue kickboard to Rei as he did so. He must've wandered off for a bit and retrieved it from the ocean.

"Here, Rei-chan." He said cheerily.

"Ah, thank you." Rei responded as he took the kickboard, though he sounded utterly despondent.

"Are you okay?" Nagisa asked.

"Yes. I'm very sorry about this." Rei apologized once more.

"It's okay!" Nagisa reassured, his voice still lighthearted.

"But it's my fault that everyone-"

"That stuff can wait." Nagisa interrupted. "What's important now is that we find the others!"

Rei turned his gaze back to the ocean, his violet eyes narrowing in concern. How were the others doing? Byakuya followed his gaze as she hugged her knees to her chest. She shivered slightly from the cold, but she was hardly bothered by that now. Was Makoto okay? Haru could take care of himself, she was sure, but Mako...

"I'm sure that they're fine." Nagisa said suddenly, smiling at his two brooding friends. He had to remain positive for both of their sakes.

"But..." Rei said slowly, recalling something strange. "I saw Makoto-senpai coming to help me, but he didn't seem like his usual self."

Byakuya started at the statement. She was somewhat surprised that Rei had even noticed something like that in the midst of nearly drowning, but his words made her heart plummet. Makoto... it must have been his fear of the ocean acting up. During a storm, it would only make sense that his fear would overrun him again. After what happened all those years ago... Oh god, what if he was hurt? Or worse...

"Bya-kun?" Nagisa called out suddenly, snapping Byakuya's attention back to him. He tilted his head curiously at the girl. "You spaced out."

"Y-yeah. Sorry. It's just... I'm worried about Mako." She confessed, her hands clasping together tightly as she shut her eyes briefly. The thought of losing Makoto was just too much for her to bear. What would she do if he was gone? She would be so lost...

Nagisa's eyes softened in understanding, and he smiled as he squatted in front of Byakuya.

"He'll be fine, Bya-kun!" Nagisa said cheerfully. "Stop worrying so much! Haru-chan is with him, remember?"

Byakuya paused for a moment at that reminder. Haruka... he would take care of Makoto. She knew he would. He'd promised, after all, and Makoto was easily more important to him than he was to her. They were practically brothers, and if Haru lost Mako... it would be like a part of him would be torn away. It would hurt him far more than it would hurt her if Mako died- Haruka wouldn't let it happen. She had to believe in him.

"Yes." Byakuya muttered. "Yes, you're right."

Nagisa grinned at her response. "If that's all okay then, you think you're ready to walk now, Bya-kun?" He asked.

Byakuya nodded once before leaning against the wall of the cliff for support. She slowly stood up, her leg muscles screaming as she did so. She had exerted herself more than she had in a long time, and she winced at the pain in her calves. Thankfully, Nagisa gave her a hand, and she was able to stand up properly again.

Byakuya gingerly tested out her feet- it stung a bit, but she deduced that she could walk on her own. Nagisa grinned at her success, and- not for the first time- Byakuya was glad to have the blonde as her friend. Always so optimistic and cheerful, he made the atmosphere brighter with his mere presence as he gave his friends his full support. A thought reoccured to her just then- the one she'd had after she got her History results back.

Without thinking twice, she leaned forth and planted a kiss on the boy's forehead, making him jump slightly in surprise.

"Bya-kun?!" Nagisa exclaimed. Even Rei looked surprised.

"Thank you, Nagi-kun." Byakuya said smilingly, before she turned around and started walking again. "Let's go then, shall we?"

"Y-yes!" The two underclassmen responded, falling into step next to the girl.

"What was that for, Bya-kun?" Nagisa asked.

"Just thanks. Do I need another reason to be nice to my friends?" Byakuya replied nochalantly, though her face was reddening from being so open with her emotions.

At that, Nagisa's grin brightened exponentially, and he jumped up and hooked his arms around Rei and necks, who both stumbled a little at the move. They smiled, however, and kept on walking together. They didn't quite know where they were going, but they would walk for as long as it took if it meant finding their friends again.

* * *

AN: Before anyone kills me for not having Byakuya do CPR on Mako, trust me- I was really tempted to. However, given that that particular scene is rather significant to Haru's growth in the series, I let the idea slide. Though I will admit I left that last AN to deliberately get your hopes up. Told you I was a douche. April Fool's, everybody! *shot* Also, after chapter 29, updates might be lessened to once a week- Wednesdays only- because my exams have been pushed up pretty early- though I promise I'll try to get back to twice a week after it's all done!

As usual, loads of thanks to Savage Kill, Shizuka Kitsune and Kyoichi Amaya for reviewing, Heavenly Condemned for doing the above as well as favouriting and following my profile, USMCcAnthem for reviewing and adding my profile to your favourites, Marfo Faura for reviewing and following this fic, and Blueberrybaby for following my profile as well as favouriting this story! Ya'll are great! ;D


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

Haruka and Makoto sat under the cover of a cliff hanging low over their heads- a natural roof to shield them from the light downpour. Neither of them spoke as they sat on the sandy ground, just watching the rain as it fell. Haru was the one who broke the silence first, and he glanced over at his olive-haired friend.

"Have you calmed down?" Haru asked, his voice steady. He had to be so, after all- for once, he had to act as Makoto's support.

"Yeah." Makoto replied despondently. He was gazing at the waves lapping against the shore, his expression distant. The two of them fell silent again for a moment before Haruka hesitantly broached the subject on his mind.

"...You're still scared of the ocean, aren't you?" He asked quietly. Makoto looked back up at him for a brief moment before he averted his gaze again as he answered.

"I thought I'd gotten over it." Makoto said, his face bearing an almost bitter expression. "But when I saw Rei drowning... I completely froze. The memory of that day immediately surfaced."

Here, Makoto lowered his face into his trembling hand, cursing his own weakness. He'd tried so hard to overcome his fear, and yet...

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this." Makoto apologized, his voice shaking. He still didn't remove his hand from his face.

"It's not your fault." Haruka said quietly. From the way Makoto sounded, he was increasingly worried that his friend would have a breakdown. He wouldn't know what to say or do if that happened- Makoto was the comforter, not him.

"But... I was the one who decided to hold a camp. And I chose to start the swim club." Makoto said, his tone melancholy. "But that was because I wanted to swim with you all again. I wanted... to swim with everyone in a relay again."

Memories of the bunch of them as kids flooded Makoto's mind. They all would smile and laugh together while Haru would just remain as stoic as ever, but he knew that Haru always enjoyed those moments as much as they had. Haru was always there, his silent yet steady presence always by Makoto's side for as long as he could remember. The olive-haired boy gazed at his open palm, and he clenched it in determination. He looked Haru in the eye as he uttered his next sentence.

"But if you're not there... it's meaningless without you! I want to swim with you!"

Haruka took a sharp intake of breath at Makoto's heartfelt declaration, his blue eyes widening in shock. Makoto's own eyes were sincere and honest; he had meant what he said. Haru was his best friend, and he always wanted it to be that way. The relief Haruka had felt from earlier only increased further- thank god he had saved Makoto. He would have been beyond devastated if he hadn't been able to...

"Ah, there they are!"

The exuberant voice of Nagisa rang out over the empty beach, catching the two boys' attention. They turned to see Nagisa, Rei and Byakuya headed towards them; relief and surprise written on their faces. Nagisa ran towards his two friends, Rei and Byakuya following behind him.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!" Nagisa called out excitedly.

"Rei! Nagisa! Byaku-chan!" Makoto exclaimed, relief evident in his voice as he stood up to meet his friends. Haru stood up as well, immensely glad to see that his friends were alright. Makoto ran to meet the others halfway, Haru trailing behind him. The raven-haired boy briefly noted that Byakuya's originally relieved expression becoming carefully neutral as she and the other two neared them.

Haru had a good idea as to where this was going.

"Fantastic! You're all okay!" Makoto said as he came up to Rei and Nagisa, who wore similar expressions of relief on their faces.

"Rei," Makoto said, turning to the bluenette with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"Don't say that!" Rei said immediately, bowing respectfully towards his senior. "I'm the one who should apologize."

"It's okay; I'm just glad you're unharmed." Makoto reassured, a kind smile on his face.

"It's not okay." Haruka cut in, his voice and eyes hard as he looked at Rei. "Why were you swimming in the ocean at night?"

Rei started for a bit at the question, feeling the same wave of shame that came over him when Byakuya had yelled at him. To be reprimanded by Haruka, who he looked up to...

"You were practicing, right?" Nagisa interjected, his voice light as he tried to smooth out the situation. "He wants to catch up to the rest of us."

Haruka started at the statement- Rei had done something so dangerous... to better himself for the team?

"...Yes." Rei admitted, glad to have Nagisa stand up for him. Haruka glanced away, feeling slightly ashamed at making the boy feel bad.

"Besides, Rei-chan wasn't the only one at fault." Nagisa said reprimandingly as he raised his index finger. "Mako-chan, you shouldn't have tried to save him by yourself! And Haru-chan, you just dove into the water without thinking!"

"So did you and Byakuya." Haruka deadpanned.

"That's right!" Nagisa exclaimed, turning to the girl who had been silent all this time. "Bya-"

But before he could finish his sentence, Byakuya's eyes sharpened immediately and she stormed forth, coming right up to Makoto as she ignored Nagisa's indignant exclamation.

And she punched Makoto in the chest. Hard.

The olive-haired boy let out a small "oof" and bent over slightly at the impact. He definitely hadn't been expecting that, and judging from the collective gasps of the others, neither had they.

"You idiot!" Byakuya yelled, making them all wince. Makoto slowly straightened up, rubbing his chest as he did so- that girl could really punch. He hesitantly glanced up at her furious expression, and immediately started to apologize.

"I'm sor-"

Before Mako could finish, another impact took him by surprise. He stumbled a bit as he regained his balance, not quite comprehending at first what had just happened. When he did, though, he realized with a start that Byakuya had wrapped her arms around his torso, her face buried into his chest.

"You idiot." She repeated, though this time her voice was softer and almost shaky. "I thought I'd lost you... Don't you ever scare me like that again."

Makoto's eyes softened at the girl's statement, feeling immensely guilty. Just as Haru was earlier, Byakuya had been worried- terrified, even- for his life. She was even shaking slightly as she held onto him- whether it was from the cold, relief, exhaustion, or a combination of the above, Makoto did not know. But he returned the girl's embrace, holding her tightly as if it would reassure her that it was all okay- that he was okay.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, gently running his hand over her hair. "I won't do it again, I promise."

"You'd better not. I'll kill you myself if you do." She mumbled.

Makoto chuckled lightly at the statement, holding her tighter. The others simply watched the scene in silence, not quite daring to break up the moment between the two. Haru's expression was neutral, but as he watched Byakuya holding onto Makoto like she was almost afraid to let go, he recalled- once again- Mikasa, and how she had hugged him the same way after his own near-drowning incident in grade school. It was thanks to her teachings that he had managed to remain calm in this situation, and for that he could not have been more grateful.

'Thank you, obasan.' Haru thought to himself, shutting his eyes briefly.

After a while, Byakuya finally released her hold on Makoto. She backed up, quickly rubbing her hand over her eyes- dammit, she was getting teary. She wouldn't let herself break now, though- Mako was safe, and that was all that mattered. Once she composed herself, she glanced back up at her friends.

"One word and I will murder you." She threatened, her tone watery as she glared at the other three boys. They all swallowed nervously at the statement- despite how beat up and tired she looked, they didn't doubt that she would fulfill her threat without hesitation.

Plus, they were worried that she would burst into tears if they pushed her too far at this point in time. It would make things so much more complicated if they made a girl cry.

"Anyways, what's important is that we're all okay, right?" Nagisa said cheerily, grinning at his friends. His happiness was contagious, and soon they all found themselves smiling at each other, all glad that they were safe and well. A gust of wind blew by just then, and Nagisa shivered and hugged himself.

"Isn't it kinda cold?" He asked, smiling sheepishly. "Especially for you, Bya-kun? You're only wearing-"

"D-don't point it out." Byakuya stuttered, flushing slightly. She was rather uncomfortable with the situation she found herself in- she was clad in nothing but her innerwear and shorts, for crying out loud! She had never even exposed her midriff before this!

"You're trembling." Makoto said worriedly, pulling the girl closer to him. Even though he was pretty cold himself, he still radiated a bit of heat- something Byakuya was immensely grateful for, despite the fact that her face was growing uncomfortably hot at being so close to him. The Tachibana boy himself was trying very not to stare at her- He wasn't quite used to having Byakuya clad in such little clothing, and couldn't help but feel irrationally uncomfortable about having the others see her dressed like this.

Makoto glanced around the island they were on, trying to see if he could find a place they could take shelter in- the cold really was harsh. "I wonder if we can find shelter from the rain anywh- oh!"

The others all followed Makoto's stare at his exclamation, their eyes landing on a lighthouse high above the cliff they were standing below.

"A lighthouse?" Rei said, surprised.

"We can stay in there until the rain stops!" Nagisa said enthusiastically.

"It's rather high up- do you think you'll be able to make it up there, Byakuya-senpai?" Rei asked. He remembered how unsteady the girl was earlier on, and he wondered if she was really ready for such a long walk- the lighthouse was pretty far away.

"I'll be fine. It's just a small walk." Byakuya said, though she felt like dying on the inside. Her leg muscles were still screaming at her, but there was no way she was gonna let that stop her and her friends from finding shelter.

"Are you sure?" Haruka asked skeptically. He knew just how stubborn the girl could be when it came to pushing her limitations, and he was highly doubtful Rei would have asked her about her ability to walk if it wasn't that serious.

"Positive. Let's go." Byakuya declared, walking on ahead.

Her confidence would have been a lot more convincing if she hadn't stumbled a few steps in and almost fell.

The others all shared a look of agreement- there was no way they were going to let Byakuya walk all the way up there in that state.

* * *

"Okay, I'm feeling much better. Put me down now?" Byakuya pleaded desperately, her face flushed.

"No." Makoto replied simply.

"Makotooooo..." Byakuya whined.

"You need to let your legs rest, Byaku-chan. Straining them further isn't going to do you any good."

"At least put me down halfway?"

"I'm only putting you down when we reach the top."

"But your arms have got to be hurting, right? So it'll be best if we can just negotiate-"

"Byakuya. No."

"Makotooooo..."

"No."

"Does this happen often?" Rei asked Nagisa and Haruka hesitantly, sweatdropping at the exchange the two seniors were having. Makoto was walking in front of the three of them, carrying Byakuya as he walked. The girl had been literally swept off her feet by the Tachibana boy, who was determined to make sure that she didn't put any more stress on her clearly exhausted legs.

Unfortunately, Byakuya was just as determined to make him put her down. But on the other hand, Makoto wasn't budging. The others just watched.

"Bya-kun doesn't like being fussed over." Nagisa explained, laughing sheepishly. "She nearly fainted after a 400m race once, and she still wouldn't let anyone help her."

"Bull-headed woman." Haruka muttered.

"I heard that!" Byakuya yelled.

"How come she gets to get carried when she isn't even appreciating it?" Nagisa complained. "I wanna be carried too..."

"A man is the one who should do the carrying, Nagisa-kun." Rei corrected. "Imagine how unsightly and undignified it would be if a woman were to carry a man, instead."

"So we're the bottom 1% again?!" Nagisa whined. "It's not fair that Bya-kun gets privileges just because she's Mako-chan's girlfriend-"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" "She's not my girlfriend!" Came the responses of the two teens walking ahead of them, their faces red as they vehemently denied any sort of relationship beyond their platonic one.

Haruka just sighed under his breath. Those two were hopeless.

* * *

The old lighthouse was a lot more rundown than it looked from afar. It wasn't a big lighthouse- more like a building with a very bright spotlight at the top, constantly spinning around and providing light for any ships that were passing by. The walls were peeling, and the inside was dark and dank. The windows were cracked and collecting dust, and the only light source came from the main spotlight at the very top. Hanging above the entrance was a raggedy sign barely hanging on by its hinges which read 'Sukishima Rest House'.

"Rest howse? What's a rest howse?" Nagisa read aloud.

"It's a rest HOUSE." Rei corrected.

"I'm getting a very 'Old Swim Club' vibe from this." Byakuya muttered. Makoto had kept his promise and put her down once they reached the top, and she currently found it very difficult to look him in the eye.

And her pride wouldn't let her admit that the carrying had definitely saved her a lot of pain- her legs were feeling a lot better now.

"Let's go inside." Nagisa suggested, heading towards the old building.

"Eh? We're really going in?" Rei exclaimed. It looked like it had been years since anyone had actually used the place, and if he was completely honest, the stories of ax-murderers that Byakuya had spoken about had him feeling rather paranoid.

"Makoto, are you okay?" Haruka asked, glancing back at his friend. He knew the taller boy was rather hesitant when it came to entering places like these- he was pretty easily scared, despite his large stature.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Makoto reassured.

"Hey, stop talking like a couple about to enter a haunted house." Nagisa said, turning back to look at the other three. "Bya-kun will get jealous."

"Shut up." Byakuya growled, her face flushing. Haru's brow twitched slightly at the comment and he moved closer to the blonde boy.

"Did you see that shadow?" Haruka said eerily, pointing into the shadows of the dark building.

It had its effect, alright. Nagisa started making a sound that sounded like something between terrified shrieking and hysterical laughter, while Rei cowered behind the kickboard he was holding.

"...Haru-kun, please don't do that again." Byakuya said calmly, though her face seemed paler and her legs seemed to be shaking. Makoto looked a little pale himself, and Haru shot them an apologetic glance.

"Oh, sorry." He said. He hadn't meant to scare them as well.

"I-it's okay." Makoto reassured.

"No it's not. I nearly had a heart attack." Byakuya grumbled.

"I'll take a look inside," Haruka said. "So you all wait out here."

"Like hell we are." Byakuya interjected, stepping up to the raven-haired boy. "Don't you watch those movies? Rule number one: Never go into the dark scary places alone!"

Haruka paused at the girl's statement. While normally he would just brush off the somewhat ridiculous remark with a "whatever" and just go on ahead, the events of today came back to his mind, and he realized something. Despite how senseless the girl's statements seemed sometimes, she was simply using them to cover up her real concerns- in this case, she was trying to look out for him.

"I'll come with you, too." Makoto added. "It'll be fine since we're all together."

Haru stared at his two friends, one shooting him a kind and reassuring smile, the other smirking yet thoughtful. Both so different, yet always supportive of him in their own different ways.

Really- what would he do without them?

"Now you all sound like you're dating each other!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Is this some kind of love triangle?"

Byakuya stomped on Nagisa's foot before anyone else could react. Payback was good.

* * *

"Wow, it's so dark." Nagisa commented as the five of them walked into the old building.

"I have a feeling something is gonna pop out." Rei said nervously.

"Don't be ridiculous." Byakuya scoffed.

"Whoa!" Nagisa suddenly yelled, making them all jump in surprise. Rei gave a strangled yelp and hid behind his kickboard, while Byakuya nearly screamed as she ducked and covered her head.

"What?!" Makoto exclaimed as both he and Haru turned around, immediately alert. What had caused the Nagisa to shout like that?

"A flashlight!" Nagisa said cheerily, taking the yellow torch which had been hanging from a nearby wall.

"Don't scare us!" Rei said exasperatedly.

"You have got to stop doing that." Byakuya grumbled, regaining her composure.

"You're scared, aren't you, Bya-kun?" Nagisa said teasingly.

"Hell no." She responded simply.

"There's a rat."

"SHI-"

"See! You ARE scared!"

"Shut up! That wasn't funny!" Byakuya cried back, her face flushing in embarassment.

"C'mon, you two." Makoto sighed, trying to ignore how tightly Byakuya was holding onto his arm after the scare. It felt like the circulation in the limb was getting cut off, but he made no move to get her to release it. "Let's get moving."

"Right!" Nagisa said cheerily, handing the flashlight to Haru- who was leading the group. The raven-haired teen turned the flashlight on and used its light to get a better look at the surroundings.

"Nothing here." He declared, moving on to another area. The others followed behind him, cautiously looking around the empty halls of the building. They came to another open doorway, and peered inside cautiously.

"Looks like this might have been a kitchen." Haruka deduced, looking around at the walls of the room which were lined with cabinets and shelves. A kitchen counter stood in the middle of the room as well, and there was even an old fridge lined up against the wall.

"Oh! Then there might be food!" Nagisa suggested. "I'm starving!"

"How can you even think about food in this situation?" Rei deadpanned. The blonde really was a quirky fellow...

"Aww." Nagisa gushed.

"That wasn't a compliment." Rei said, his brow twitching.

"Alright! Let's search around!" Nagisa declared, ignoring Rei's remark. "I'll check the cabinet over here! Haru-chan and Mako-chan can look under the sink! Rei-chan and Bya-kun get to check out the dubious-looking fridge!"

"Wait! Why do I get stuck with the worst job?!" Rei said indignantly, glaring at Nagisa. Byakuya's face just paled significantly as she blanched.

"Bya-kun said she wasn't scared! As for you, it's because 'Rei-chan' stands for 'refridge-Rei-tor'!" Nagisa said enthusiastically, making a playful gunshot move with his hand.

"That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?!" Rei exclaimed, his eyebrow twitching even more violently.

"I'm gonna throw up." Byakuya peeped out. "Because of nerves and that horrible pun."

"I-I refuse!" Rei continued indignantly. "I have a feeling something is gonna ooze out if I open the door."

"I'm too young to die." Byakuya groaned. Despite her efforts to keep up a cool front, she was actually really jumpy right now.

"Stop it." Haruka said exasperatedly. These guys let their imaginations run away with them way too often.

"I could take your place if you don't want to, Byaku-chan." Makoto offered.

"N-no. I can do it. I'll do it." Byakuya said determinedly. There was no way she was going to let Mako be brave for her own sake again- he was pretty scared, too, and if he could do it, then so could she.

"Then we'll use rock, paper, scissors to decide who else opens the fridge." Nagisa suggested.

"Do we really have to open it?" Rei asked, a final attempt to talk them out of it.

"It's the most likely place to have food." Nagisa reasoned.

"There's no power, though." Haruka pointed out.

"Right now, the fridge is our only hope!" Nagisa defended.

"Why don't you open it, then?" Byakuya said.

"Ehh? What if something jumps out at me?"

"So you're throwing us to the sharks instead?!"

"Okay!" Nagisa said cheerily, ignoring Byakuya's comment. "C'mon, everyone! Rock, paper... Scissors!"

The five of them all cast out their hands. Rei was the only ones who had chosen Rock, while all the others had gone with Paper. Rei stared at his hand like it had betrayed him.

"See? It's still Rei-chan!" Nagisa cheered, brandishing the kickboard he had taken from Rei. "Fight!"

"If I die, feed my dog." Byakuya said despairingly.

"You don't have a dog." Haruka pointed out.

"I've always wanted one." Byakuya shrugged.

Rei and Byakuya slowly approached the old fridge, and stood in front of it unmoving for a while as they gathered their wits. The others all stood a ways behind, watching closely as the two prepared to open the doors of the fridge.

"You take the left door, I'll take the right?" Byakuya suggested, her heart racing as the dreaded revelation approached. Rei nodded as he swallowed hard and grasped the handle of the fridge's left door.

"On the count of three." Rei said, his voice close to shaking. "One...two...three!"

They opened the doors in one swift movement. Nothing jumped out and ate their faces- the fridge was completely empty.

"Whew." Rei sighed, his heart finally calming down. Byakuya slumped against the wall as she laughed weakly in relief.

"It's empty? That's too bad." Nagisa said, disappointed.

"My dog won't starve!" Byakuya said happily.

"You don't have one."

"I can always dream, dammit."

* * *

"Alright, everyone! Put these on!" Nagisa said enthusiastically, brandishing two orange aprons which were wrapped in plastic. On the front were the words 'Sukishima Rest House' in bold. The blonde was wearing one of the hideous things himself, and so was Haru. Rei, Byakuya and Makoto sweatdropped at the sight.

"Why are we wearing those?" Rei deadpanned.

"I couldn't find anything else, don't complain." Nagisa replied.

"Orange. Always orange." Byakuya muttered. She really didn't like that colour- it looked terrible on her.

"We're dry now, so that's not necessary." Makoto added, not really wanting to wear that thing himself. Sure, he liked orange, but this was pushing it.

"Haru-kun's cooking again?" Byakuya commented, walking over to the raven-haired boy. They had managed to find a small table on the second floor of the old rest house, and had managed to scavenge out a gas lamp, a stove, and several cans of food among other things. Naturally, Haru was the one who voluntarily set to work on cooking the food.

"And once again..." Rei muttered, staring at the dish Haru was preparing.

"Pineapple mackerel..." Nagisa finished, his tone somewhat reluctant. As good as Haru's cooking was, mackerel was getting old. The same went for pineapple.

"Looks like we lucked out." Haruka said as he continued cooking. Obviously, he hadn't noticed the deadpanned looks being shot at him.

"Uh, can't you eat them separately?" Rei said nervously. He was ignored as Haru simply slipped another piece of pineapple onto the fish he was cooking.

The two underclassmen sweatdropped. How was it possible that the stoic senior hadn't gotten sick of mackerel yet?

"Looks like they're finally beginning to understand." Byakuya joked lightly. Makoto just patted her head in response, shooting her a small, half-hearted smile.

"This water hasn't expired yet, so we can boil it and drink it." The Tachibana boy continued, lifting up one of the bottles of water they had found.

"Well, at least we don't have to collect rainwater or anything now." Byakuya commented lightly. Makoto just gave her another one of those small smiles, and Byakuya frowned. Makoto wasn't smiling like he normally did, and that didn't sit right with her. The incident from earlier must have affected him more than he let on...

The girl caught Nagisa's eye for a moment, and the two shared a look. They knew what they had to do- it was what they did best, after all.

It was time to make everyone laugh.

* * *

AN: I do hope Byakuya's mood changes from serious to lighthearted isn't too confusing. I imagine her to be the type who likes to cover up her darker emotions with cheerful ones, thus resulting in her trying to make others cheery as well. Is it too bipolar? I hope not- do inform me if you think it is. ;P

Shout out to Savage Kill, Shizuka Kitsune, Kyoichi Amaya, AmIValid and Heavenly Condemned for reviewing, and maggikarps for doing the above as well as favouriting and following this story! 8D


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Kyoto Animation. I only own the OC.**

"Pineapple mackerel and hot water..." Nagisa said despondently, blowing slightly on his cup of water before taking a long sip. It wasn't exactly comfortable.

"You should be grateful that we found anything edible." Haruka responded simply. They had finally finished making the food and boiling the water, and were sitting around the table as they had their supper- of sorts.

"True. I just have to use my imagination!" Nagisa piped up. "This isn't water, it's rich consomme soup! The ultimate soup, glistening gold!"

"You keep telling yourself that, Nagi-kun." Byakuya said blandly.

"Doesn't that just make you feel worse?" Rei added.

"This is the problem with people who have no imagination." Nagisa muttered.

"Screw you." Byakuya retorted. Rei just made an indignant sound.

"At least it warmed us up." Makoto commented optimistically.

"Yeah." Nagisa agreed.

Haruka glanced out the window briefly and saw that the rain was still pouring down. It was still dark out, so that must have meant it was still pretty early in the morning.

"It's still raining." He commented idly.

"I guess we'll have to stay here until morning." Rei said, somewhat despondently. They weren't exactly in the most comfortable situation at the moment.

"What do we do next?" Nagisa asked cheerily.

"Sleep." Haruka responded.

"Yes." Byakuya groaned, placing her head on her arms, which were crossed over the table. "Please, sleep."

"Ehh? But we're stranded on a deserted island!" Nagisa complained. "Aren't we supposed to harpoon fish and search for edible mushrooms?"

The sound of Byakuya's muffled cursing could be heard from between her hands at the blonde's statement.

"We're not on a TV show." Rei said exasperatedly.

"Still it's hard to go to sleep in this situation." Makoto mused.

"Can't deny that." Byakuya sighed as she straightened up. She placed her chin in her hand and drummed her fingers against the table as she did so. "So... something to pass the time..."

The others all kept quiet as they considered their options. For a while, no one said anything, until Nagisa suddenly took a sharp intake of breath as a brilliant idea came to mind.

"I know!" He exclaimed, his voice excited. "That's what we can do!"

"Eh, let's hear it." Byakuya said. "Whaddya have in mind?"

* * *

"You're actually pretty resourceful with this kind of thing, Bya-kun." Nagisa commented as he watched the girl finish taping up the large dice she had made out of several old cardboard sheets that had been lying around. At Nagisa's suggestion, they had all agreed to go along with his plan of playing a conversation game with each other, and Byakuya had volunteered to make the dice. "Considering you suck at arts and crafts."

"Says the guy who draws like Picasso." Byakuya grunted. Despite her complaints, though, she finished up the dice on which she had written all their names and handed it to Nagisa. The boy enthusiastically took the cube from her and didn't hesitate to roll it right away.

"Who's it gonna be? Who's it gonna be?" He chanted as the dice began to slow down. After a few more turns, the dice stopped on Rei's name.

"It's Rei-chan!" Nagisa cheered.

"Uh, my name's on two of the faces." Rei pointed out. He was standing next to Makoto and Haru, who were sitting on the floor in the centre of the room. They had shifted their positions and placed the gas lamp in the middle of their little 'circle' to create a more comfortable atmosphere for their game.

"Because you're Rei-chan." Nagisa replied simply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rei asked. He was feeling somewhat miffed at all the unfairness he was receiving- first the fridge, and now this?!

"Oh fine. I was just feeling mean." Byakuya admitted. "Sorry, Butterfly-chan."

"That name again?" Rei's eye twitched.

"At least I didn't write it on the dice."

"Okay, Rei-chan!" Nagisa cut in, returning with Byakuya to sit in their little circle. "Tell us an embarrassing story!"

"Why does it have to be an embarrassing story?" Rei exclaimed.

"Go ahead!" Nagisa insisted.

"We all have our embarrassing moments. Don't worry, we'll understand." Makoto reassured.

Rei reluctantly sighed. They weren't gonna let this go, so he might as well get it over with.

"This happened when I was in fifth grade." He said, his voice somewhat strained. "I was on a school field trip. And... I left something in the bath."

"'Something'?" Byakuya tilted her head.

"It's complicated." Rei flushed, placing his face in his hand. "One of the teachers in charge found it, and brought it out to find the owner. He was just... brandishing it for the whole class to see, and everyone was laughing... "

"...Oh." Byakuya said in realization. There was only one thing that made sense as to why Rei was so embarassed now...

"So it was your underwear?" Nagisa asked.

"Don't rub it in." Rei mumbled out. He couldn't believe he had just admitted that...

"Rei, uh..." Makoto trailed off. He didn't really know what to say to the embarrassed boy.

"Don't worry." Nagisa said cheerily, patting Rei's shoulder. "If you leave your underwear in the locker room, I'll go get it for you!"

"I won't!" Rei exclaimed indignantly. He really should have lied and made up a story...

* * *

"Oh, Haru-chan's up next!" Nagisa announced as the dice stopped on Haru's name.

Rei sighed in relief. It wasn't his turn again, thank goodness...

"Ooh, make this one count, Nagi-kun!" Byakuya said enthusiastically. This was the perfect opportunity to find out more about the silent teen.

"Let's see..." Nagisa thought about it for a moment. "Tell us about a romantic encounter you've had! Or, in short, a love story!"

"...Wow." Byakuya blinked. That was unexpected.

"Love story?" Makoto repeated, surprised.

"Go ahead." Nagisa cued.

"My turn?" Haruka muttered as he stood up, preparing to answer the question. Rei scuttled over to Makoto and Byakuya as he whispered to them.

"Haruka-senpai's been in love before?" He asked curiously.

"Er, I have no idea." Makoto replied. This was news to him.

"Me neither. This should be good." Byakuya leaned in eagerly as Haru began his story.

"When I was in grade school, my parents took me to climb a mountain nearby." "That was where I had my fateful encounter." Haruka said, none too dramatically. The others had by this time gathered closer and were listening intently. The stoic, seemingly nonplussed Haruka- in love? They couldn't wait to hear who it was.

"I couldn't look away." Haruka continued, his voice taking on a somewhat awed and dreamy tone. That intensely beautiful, positively vibrant..."

Love at first sight? Who was this girl? Their curiosities were piqued even further, until Haruka finally said...

"...sparkling and pristine waterfall." Haru finished, his eyes shut as he recalled the memory.

"Waterfall." The others deadpanned, sighing as they did so. Typical Haruka.

"That doesn't count as a love story, Haru-chan." Nagisa complained, disappointed that he hadn't found out that his friend had a lady love or anything of the sort.

"Actually, it makes sense." Byakuya laughed sheepishly. She could actually imagine the stoic teen being romantically attracted to water.

Haruka just remained standing, the dreamy expression never leaving his face. His first love truly had certainly been an amazing sight.

* * *

"Bya-kun! It's your turn!" Nagisa announced, pointing at the sole female of the group. "Let's see... tell us something none of us know about you!"

"For real? Of all the questions to ask..." Byakuya sighed.

"C'mon, tell us!" The blonde insisted.

"Alright, alright." The girl paused for a while before she answered. "Let's see... I used to fantasize about marrying Haru-kun when I was a kid."

"What?!" They all exclaimed. Haru looked like he had been slapped in the face.

"You asked for something you didn't know." Byakuya murmured, regretting her words immediately. She really should think before talking...

"Wedding fantasies?" Makoto sweatdropped. Even he hadn't heard that one...

"Haru-chan and Bya-kun..." Nagisa mused.

"I can't really see it." Rei commented.

"Please stop." Haruka said curtly.

"Yes. Please do." Byakuya muttered, her face turning red.

"But I didn't even know you liked Haru-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed.

"I got over it. So... don't freak out, Haru-kun." Byakuya said sheepishly.

"In that case...who do you fantasize about now, Bya-kun?" Nagisa asked.

"It's one question per turn." Byakuya replied curtly.

"You can tell us!"

"It's none of your business."

"It's Mako-chan, isn't it?"

"I said it's none of your business!"

"You're blushing, Bya-kun!"

"That's just the light!"

"You seem to be in serious denial, senpai."

"I am not! Can we just go on to the next turn already?!"

The two underclassmen just laughed at her expense, making Byakuya's blush darken as she ducked her head embarrassedly. Where was a time machine when you needed one...

* * *

"Okay! It's my turn!" Nagisa announced as he mock-saluted. "I have a performance for you all!"

"You're weaseling out of the questioning." Byakuya said, her brow twitching. After all the embarrassment Nagisa had caused with his questions, it didn't seem fair that he would get away scot-free.

"Don't complain! Just enjoy the show!" Nagisa exclaimed. He then proceeded to stick both his arms to his sides, straight out. His legs went completely straight as well as he waddled along like that, his lips jutting out in an almost duck-faced manner.

"What are you doing?" Haruka deadpanned. The boy looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Is that supposed to be some sort of Frankenstein monster impression?" Byakuya laughed, covering her smile with a hand.

"Can't you tell?" Nagisa complained. "It was a rockhopper penguin imitation!"

"It was?" Haruka said skeptically.

"I couldn't tell." Rei added.

"E-eh?" Nagisa exclaimed, resuming the peculiar movement again. "How can you not tell? Just look at this, look!"

"Still looks like the Frankenstein monster to me." Byakuya continued, laughing as she did so. To her surprise and relief, Makoto gave a small laugh of his own.

"Ah, Mako-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed, turning to the olive-haired teen. He grinned at the boy, who looked back at him in surprise. "You finally smiled."

"Eh?" Makoto said in surprise. His friend had noticed?

"That's good. You seemed a little subdued." Nagisa continued.

"C'mon, give us another one!" Byakuya urged playfully. "Seeing you without a smile just doesn't seem right. Like... like eating mackerel with toast!"

Haruka shot Byakuya an exasperated look at that statement, though he felt relieved at Makoto's lightened mood now as well. Makoto glanced at his friends in surprise, but his expression quickly changed to that of a gentle and grateful smile.

"I'm sorry for making you worry." He apologized softly. He really was grateful to have such wonderful friends looking out for him. Haruka stared at him with a neutral expression, though there was still concern reflected in his eyes.

"Don't be." Byakuya said smilingly as she placed a hand on his shoulder, just like how he always did whenever he comforted her. "It's been a pretty rough day- just be glad we're okay now."

"Uh..." Rei interrupted hesitantly. "I've been wondering... when you were trying to save me, you were acting strangely."

Makoto started at the statement, and became noticeably more perturbed at Rei's observation. Byakuya squeezed Makoto's shoulder kindly- he seemed pretty shocked that Rei had noticed that detail. She shot Rei a reprimanding glance, hoping he caught the message to drop the subject.

"We're not going to discuss it." Haruka said curtly.

"But-"

"Just drop it!" Haruka interrupted Rei, his voice hard. Even Byakuya flinched slightly at his voice- she hardly ever heard Haru use that tone. They all fell silent immediately, the previously lighthearted atmosphere dissipating. It seemed like a long while before Makoto finally broke the silence.

"Thanks, Haru." He said gratefully, shooting his friend a small smile. "But it's okay. This... is something I want to tell them."

Haruka hesitated, but glanced away; accepting his friend's decision. Byakuya bit her lower lip and considered interjecting, but decided against it. It was Makoto's secret to tell, and if he wanted to let them know, then so be it. She would simply have to back him up all the way and give him the support he needed. Makoto shot her a grateful look as well and removed her hand from his shoulder, though he held onto it as he turned back to face the others.

"I suddenly felt scared." He confessed quietly. Nagisa and Rei looked taken aback at the statement.

"Scared?" Rei asked confusedly.

"Scared of what?" Nagisa added.

"...I'm scared of the ocean." Makoto said simply. The statement made all of them fall silent, and they listened intently as Makoto began his story.

"When I was little, I would often visit this small fishing harbour in the next town." Makoto said. "There was this old fisherman there who was really nice, and would sometimes play with me. During the summer, there was this summer festival near the harbour. I wanted to scoop goldfish, but I had already used up all of my allowance. Instead, I just watched the goldfish swim.

"But then, the old fisherman showed up with some goldfish for me... I was really happy. But later that summer, there was a large typhoon, and that old fisherman's boat sank."

Here, Makoto paused for a moment and glanced down, a sad look on his face as he recalled those days, while the others simply kept silent as they continued listening.

"Many of the people on board drowned." He continued quietly. "The boat sank about three kilometers away from the harbour. We swim three kilometers every day."

Memories of that day flooded back into Makoto's mind- that day when he, Byakuya and Haruka were standing by the road as a funeral procession was going on. All the people dressed in white with solemn looks on their faces; while the three of them looked on in shock and confusion. Makoto had gripped tightly onto his friends' hands as he looked on with wide eyes, his hands trembling as he did so. He had been so young then, and could barely understand what was going on.

"I wasn't so much sad... as I was scared." Makoto continued. "I fed the goldfish and changed the water in the bowl, but they still died. Ever since then, I've been scared of the ocean. It feels like there's something unknown hiding in the water."

"...That's enough, Makoto." Haruka said quietly once Makoto finished his story.

"But you still tried to save me..." Rei trailed off in shock and disbelief. Makoto truly was a lot braver than he let on.

They all fell silent again,not quite sure what to say. It was Nagisa who spoke first.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Nagisa started slowly. "If you're scared of the ocean, why did you participate in this training camp?"

"Because... I wanted to swim." Makoto replied, grasping onto Byakuya's hand, which he still hadn't let go of. He smiled up at the others as he continued. "I wanted to swim with all of you. When the five of us swim together... I feel like we can go anywhere."

All of them started at the confession, and they stared at Makoto with wide eyes. The boy simply smiled back at them- he had meant what he'd said, and he wanted to make sure they knew just how much he appreciated them. They were his teammates, after all, and he cared for them dearly.

"...Hey, the rain stopped." Nagisa commented as he glanced out the window. The others all followed his gaze and saw that the boy was right- it had stopped raining, though the sky was still dark.

"So fast...?" Byakuya murmured. Time seemed to have flown by.

"Let's go outside!" Nagisa continued, pulling Rei along with him. "C'mon, Rei-chan!"

"H-hey! Wait!" Rei stuttered out as he was dragged along by the exuberant blonde. Makoto, Haruka and Byakuya were left staring after them blankly for a moment, before a playful smile spread across Byakuya's face.

"Hey, you two, let's go!" She said cheerily, grabbing onto both of their hands as she stood up. Haru and Mako both raised an eyebrow at what she was doing, but heeded her instructions anyway. The girl then proceeded to drag them along in a similar fashion as Nagisa had with Rei, grinning all the while.

Haruka and Makoto both shared a knowing look. They were both clearly thinking the same thing.

Thank goodness for friends like these guys.

* * *

Nagisa ran outside onto the roof of the lighthouse excitedly, staring up at the sky as soon as he was out of the building.

"Wow! It's gorgeous!" He said in awe. The sky was completely clear after the storm, offering a perfect view of the millions of stars lighting the night sky. It was like a dream- the heavenly bodies shone down upon the world and made the night seem utterly majestic and bright.

"I've never seen anything like it!" Byakuya gasped as she stared up at the sky, a smile on her face. This had to be one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen.

"The sky is nice and clear." Rei commented as he and the others stepped outside and beheld the sight before them as well.

"There's the Summer Triangle." The bluenette continued, pointing at the pattern in the sky. The others looked at where he was pointing while he continued naming more constellations. "There's Vega from the constellation Lyra. Deneb from the constellation Cygnus. Altair from the constellation Aquila."

"Is that a squid constellation?!" Nagisa exclaimed, pointing up at the pattern he'd spotted.

"Oh, I see it! It even looks like it has that weird triangle thing on its head!" Byakuya enthused.

"Where's the mackerel constellation?" Haru asked immediately.

Makoto laughed amiably at their comments. "Neither of those exist."

"Is that the rockhopper penguin constellation?" Nagisa continued, ignoring what Makoto had said.

"No such thing." Rei said simply.

"Huh?! That's no fun! Let's pretend there is one!"

"I think I see a turtle up there!"

"That's just your imagination."

"I know! Let's make our own constellations!"

"Great idea, Bya-kun! I'm naming one after myself!"

"I call dibs on the turtle one!"

"You can't do that!"

"Oh fine. We'll name one after you, too. That one's Butterfly-chan."

"Don't name a star after that!"

"You want one too, Mako?"

"That's not really necessary..."

A sharp intake of breath from Nagisa caught all of their attentions. The blonde pointed at the ground, his eyes shining excitedly. "Hey, look at that!"

They all looked down, and gasped at what they saw. The rain had left a huge puddle of water which they were currently standing in, and the water was so clear it literally reflected the whole night sky on its surface. It was like they were standing amidst the sky and stars themselves.

Byakuya moved her hands to her mouth. She was utterly stunned, and her eyes were shining with awe. This was amazing.

They all just stood there and stared at the beautiful sight. Not a single one of them moved for fear of disrupting the moment, but for that short while, it was like time itself had stopped. It all seemed so surreal, and for a moment it was like they had all forgotten about the rest of the world. It was just them and the stars.

Makoto managed to tear his eyes away from the ground for a moment, and he glanced up at his friends. They were all too busy staring on in amazement at the sight before them to notice that he was looking at them, but still, the Tachibana boy smiled happily. They all just looked so serene, and he was glad to see them that way. He couldn't thank the heavens enough to be able to share this moment with them, and he continued smiling as he returned his gaze to the pool of stars.

They weren't sure how long they were standing there; just enjoying the beauty of nature, but it didn't matter. That night was one that was forever carved into their memories; one that would always bring a smile to their faces for years and years to come.

* * *

As the sky began to brighten with the first rays of the morning, the five swimmers all made their way back down to the beach. During the journey back down through the forest of the island, Makoto hesitantly intertwined his hand with Byakuya's as the rest of the group walked on in front of them. She started at the move and glanced at him, brown eyes meeting emerald as they held each other's gazes for a while.

"Thank you, Byaku-chan. For being here for me, too." Makoto said quietly, somewhat embarassed from his sudden boldness. He didn't regret it, though- after the game they had played in the lighthouse, he figured he'd better make a move before Byakuya started having more marriage fantasies about another guy.

The Shion girl's face turned a very interesting shade of red as she looked away immediately, trying to regain her composure. When she did, she took a deep breath and used her free hand to sock him in the arm.

"Don't think I've forgiven you for that scare so easily." Byakuya muttered, her eyes glued back to the ground. Her grip on their interlocked hands tightened slightly, though-it was a small gesture, but Makoto was able to recognize it as a sign of acknowledgement.

He rubbed the spot where she'd hit him and laughed sheepishly. Even when flustered, she could still hit hard.

And call it wishful thinking... but he was also beginning to suspect that perhaps his feelings weren't entirely one-sided. The thought made him smile as he continued the walk, still holding onto the girl's hand.

Unbeknownst to of them, Nagisa had witnessed the whole exchange. The blonde was grinning cheekily, and his pink eyes sparkled mischievously as he took note of the whole scene.

"Looks like Mako-chan and Bya-kun have finally made some progress!" He whispered excitedly to Haru and Rei, who had been walking ahead. The two boys simply glanced back briefly to observe the two teens hanging behind, both of whom were gazing intently at the ground as they walked hand-in-hand, their faces flushed.

"My assumption about being in denial was correct, then." Rei commented as he smiled smugly. He had guessed that the two seniors would have gotten together eventually; and in his opinion they made a good pair, despite their differences.

Haruka remained silent, but couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He had been waiting for one of his two friends to make a move- they were just so shy with their feelings it was almost frustrating. Makoto was probably ecstatic now, and Haruka was glad for his friend's happiness. If there was someone who deserved to be happy, it was Makoto.

This day just kept getting better and better.

* * *

"It's not too far away." Nagisa said idly as the five of them stood on the beach of Sukishima, facing the main island. The sun had already risen by then, and the day was bright.

"If we wave, Miss Amakata and Gou-san might spot us." Rei suggested.

"They're probably still sleeping." Haruka replied logically.

"Lucky bastards." Byakuya muttered.

"Hopefully they'll notice that we're missing when they wake up and send a boat after us." Nagisa said. Makoto had been musing over the situation for a while, and finally gave his own suggestion.

"I'll swim over and let them know." He said nonchalantly. The others were all taken aback at his proposal.

"Huh?" They all exclaimed in unison.

"Have you lost your marbles?!" Byakuya exclaimed.

"Don't be stupid." Haruka added, his voice somewhat urgent.

"They're right." Rei supported. After what had transpired, was Makoto really serious about doing this again? Makoto simply turned his gaze to the ocean before he replied.

"But the ocean is so calm right now. Plus..." Makoto glanced back at his friends and gave a gentle smile. "Everybody's here with me."

That made all of them fall silent, touched at his words. Nagisa grinned Makoto happily before enthusiastically pumping his fist.

"I'll come with you, then!" The blonde said cheerily, heading towards the ocean without a second thought.

"I'm joining in as well." Rei added, following after Nagisa. Makoto looked at Haru and Byakuya, both of whom were staring at him. He smiled at them- his two closest friends in the world. Always by his side, no matter what; they were the ones who gave him the strength he needed to push forth. He couldn't be thankful enough for them.

"...You're an idiot." Byakuya muttered, though a smile played on her lips. Makoto just chuckled at her statement and patted her head- 'idiot' seemed to be more of a term of endearment when it came to Byakuya. He then turned his gaze to Haru and caught his eye, who had fallen silent once more. Makoto just shot him a knowing smile- It was a way of communication tha the two had established after all their years together, and in that one small gesture Makoto was able to convey entire sentences and his utmost thanks to his best friend.

"Okay! Let's see who can get there first!" Makoto announced, heading towards the edge of the shore as well. He tugged Byakuya along with him, and she complied laughingly.

"A race, then?" Nagisa said, his voice excited.

"Fine with me." Rei declared.

"Winner gets extra for breakfast!" Byakuya added.

"What? But we're all starving, too!" Nagisa complained.

"Swim fast, then!"

"Haru-chan! Hurry up!" Nagisa called out to the raven-haired teen, who was still standing on the beach.

"Haru! Come on!" Makoto added, waving his hand at him.

"Move it, Dolphin-chan!" Byakuya hollered, a grin on her face.

Haruka just stared at them for a moment before he sighed and complied.

He didn't show it, but he was smiling on the inside.

* * *

Rin panted slightly as he ran a lap around the main island, his hair pulled up into a small ponytail to keep his hair from sticking to his neck from perspiration. As he continued his run, he came across two tents set up on the beach, and slowed down as he came closer to the tents. He had a pretty good idea who they belonged to, but to his surprise, the tents were completely empty. He started- it was still really early in the morning, where could they be? Ever since that storm that had awoken him for the briefest moment last night, he would be lying if he said he hadn't been at least a bit worried...

A small commotion coming from the direction of the ocean caught his attention, and he stopped running entirely as he tried to pinpoint its source. To his surprise, he saw the five figures of the Iwatobi Swim Team swimming in the ocean, headed right back towards the main island. They had started training so early?

"What are they doing...?" He muttered to himself as he stared at the approaching figures. He could hear bits and pieces of their conversation as they came closer, and what he heard only irked him further.

"I'm pooped." Nagisa whined.

"I'll never move again after this." Byakuya added, her breathing growing heavy.

"We're almost there." Makoto reassured kindly, before turning to the blue-haired figure- Rin recognized him as the guy who had almost drowned during the swim practice at Samezuka. "Hang in there, Rei!"

"You're falling behind, Nagisa-kun!" Rei called out.

"I'm falling asleep..." Nagisa said, his voice growing slurred.

"Nagisa! Wake up!" Makoto exclaimed

"Oh man, don't do this to me now, Nagi-kun! You're heavy!" Byakuya complained. "Haru-kun! Help!"

"Troublesome." Haruka said exasperatedly, but he helped the blonde along anyway. They continued the conversation in a similar fashion as they continued swimming, while Rin looked on in growing frustration.

More laughter reached his ears, and his brow furrowed as he frowned disapprovingly. They weren't training seriously? What were they playing at? Prefecturals was in less than two months!

He grit his teeth agitatedly as he turned away and continued his run again. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel another emotion underlying the frustration he was feeling upon seeing his old friends having fun without him... but he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind before he could ponder upon it.

That didn't matter. All that mattered was winning.

* * *

"Oh dear..." Miss Amakata commented as she and Kou arrived at the campsite where the five swimmers were camping out. Well, at least, where they should have been camping; if they were not...

"What are you guys doing?" Kou deadpanned as she took in the sight before her. All five of the Iwatobi swimmers were knocked out on the beach, and she would have thought them dead if they weren't snoring lightly.

"Hung out to dry overnight?" Miss Amakata sweatdropped. "And why is Byakuya-chan not wearing a shirt...?"

Kou sighed as she clapped her hands loudly and stepped onto the beach, heading towards the five sleeping teens. "Okay, okay. Time to practice!"

They didn't even stir.

"Um..." This wasn't working out too well. Kou raised her voice and stepped right up to them as she continued. "Are you listening?! Wake up!"

"Keep your damn girl scout cookies." Byakuya mumbled out sleepily, obviously not awake.

Kou looked like she wanted to snap at the girl, but when she noticed the way Byakuya was sleeping, she thought better of it. The Shion was tucked closely against Makoto's side, and Makoto in turn had an arm around her. Evidently, neither of them seemed to really be aware of the close contact they were in- Kou was sure they would have jumped 10 feet apart if they did.

Kou sighed again, but smiled slightly as she relented. She'd let them all rest for now- they looked more peaceful than she'd ever seen them, and she decided to be merciful for once as she let them sleep. She was going to make them work to make up for it, though- double the regimen for their laziness. However, she would wait patiently until they woke up before she dumped the workload on then. After all, a manager had to look out for the wellbeing of the team as well as keeping them in top shape. She didn't know what they had been up to that had made them so tired, but she would let it slide.

Plus, Kou really wanted to see the expression on Byakuya's face when she woke up. It would make all the waiting worth it- that much was for sure.

* * *

AN: For this chapter, I would like to give a big shout out to NotSauron for giving me the inspiration for the question Byakuya gets asked. Thanks a heap, buddy! ;D Also, the ending fluff is dedicated Kyoichi Amaya- sorry I couldn't put them both in the same tent, but you did inspire a new start to the filler along with the ending of this chapter, haha! Also, just a reminder that starting from next week I'll only be updating on Wednesdays until my schedule clears up.

As usual, I hereby grant many thanks to Savage Kill, Shizuka Kitsune, Kyoichi Amaya and maggikarps for reviewing, and CharactersXReaders for faving and following my profile as well as this story! Thanks for the support, guys! ;D

See ya'll next chapter! 8D


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